


Darkhorse Superman

by niliam



Category: One Direction
Genre: M/M, Past Niall Horan/Harry Styles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-07 04:10:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 39,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niliam/pseuds/niliam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall's so used to the world, and he thinks the world's used to him. But then Liam comes along and suddenly Niall isn't used to anything anymore. Niall hadn't been expecting to be swept up and flown off into the sunset, until he was already halfway there and Liam had no intention of putting him down. </p>
<p>Basically Niall was expecting to be on the streets for a long, long time, until Liam comes along and decides against Niall's will that there's nothing okay about that and that he's going to be the one to fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Contact

Niall’s currently standing on his favourite street corner. There’s nothing special about it really, it’s just that he always seems to meet the nicest people when he’s working this corner.

It’s been a long day and Niall’s about to give up and head to the train station to grab his backpack full of decent clothes for the club when someone catches his eye.

A guy about 6”3 with light brown hair and the world’s most genuine smile streaked across his face. The guy’s smiling because he’s currently patting a strangers dog that had insisted on getting some of this important man’s attention.

Niall watches as this guy bends down into a crouch and the dog practically tackles him to the ground with kisses. The guy’s giggling like an idiot and the owner’s getting all flustered and embarrassed because she can’t pull the damn thing back to give the nice man some room to breathe from her over excited pet.

Eventually the man stands up and the dog looks more disappointed than physically possible as its master drags him away from the guy and down the street. The guy dusts himself off, still smiling like an idiot, and goes to take a step towards the supermarket which Niall’s currently leaning against, but freezes when he sees Niall standing there, staring back. The guy forces an awkward smile and proceeds up the sidewalk until he’s inside the store, and Niall’s left alone to scout once again.

But Niall doesn’t need to scout now.

He’s found a target.

Niall promptly slumps down against the wall until he’s sitting against it with his legs crossed, whips out his phone, and begins frowning at it until the guy comes back out. When the guy does Niall curses under his breath and throws his phone angrily at the new born tree struggling to grow in its new home the council has given it in the sidewalk.

The guy stops walking.

Niall instantly knows he’s found a good one.

Niall feels the guy’s eyes on him and looks up to see the guy staring down at him with questioning eyes. Niall doesn’t even have to say anything.

“...everything alright..?” The guy mumbles. The guy then suddenly looks instantly apologetic as if he’s just offended Niall’s very existence by asking such a personal question. Niall sighs (as rehearsed) and frowns at his phone now lying two metres away in a patch of dirt.

“...my mate’s kicked me out for the night.” Niall grumbles. “...again.”

The guy pulls his eyebrows together, waiting for Niall to go on, probably because he’s too terrified to ask another offensive question of this random stranger. Niall sighs again and runs a hand through his hair, then glances up at the sky with his head leaning against the wall as if he’s contemplating life itself.

“...he’s got this girlfriend that can’t stand to be anything even close to second in his life, so she insists he sends me away whenever she’s near.” Niall recites. “...stupid bitch, like I’d want to steal _him_ from _her_ anyway.”

The guy now looks like he’s contemplating something intensely but Niall can’t quite figure out what. Normally the suckers just take a seat next to him or help him up and ask if they can buy him a beer if they swing his way. This guy does neither though. The air between the two of them falls deathly silent for a while, until-

“Right...” The guy mumbles.

Niall doesn’t know what to do with that.

Normally people follow one of his predicted patterns and he can persuade them following that, but this guy’s doing something new and Niall isn’t sure how to proceed.

Damn, he probably picked a dud.

The guy turns around and starts to walk off down the street but freezes mid step and turns back around. Almost... expectantly?

“You coming, or what?” The guy calls.

Niall blinks a few times in confusion but neither the less scrambles to his feet. He jogs across the sidewalk and picks up his phone from the dirt then jogs over to the guy who could be about to lead him into a human trafficking ring for all he knows, but he doesn’t care. He’s so, _so_ used to strangers now.

The guy doesn’t say anything else, he just turns back around and starts heading... home..? with Niall in toe.

Niall should probably see this as weird but he doesn’t. He’s too used to following strangers home. Too used to not even exchanging names or greetings. Too used to waking himself up at ridiculous hours of the morning the day after and sneaking his way back to the train station to change his clothes.

Niall’s used to everything.

Niall’s used to being used to everything.

The guy leads Niall to a pretty average looking apartment building. He taps his code into the lock pin pad and once the light goes green he doesn’t even bother inviting Niall in. He just swings the door open and stumbles up the stairs, turning briefly at the top of the first flight to check that Niall is still following, and continues on. Three painful flights later Niall is led to a door numbered 452, and when the guy unlocks it and trudges inside, Niall takes a moment to assess the flat from what he can see through the doorway.

It’s well lit, high ceilings, well furnished, simple, yet brilliant. Niall thinks it matches this guy perfectly. Niall decides it’s probably alright and steps through the threshold, and the moment he does he’s hit with the familiar unfamiliar scent of someone else, mixed in with what Niall presumes to be the scent of a roast in the oven, rather than the smell of baking human flesh like it could very well be.

The guy dumps his bag of groceries on his breakfast bar then turns to face Niall with a slightly assuming look. Niall’s kind of confused but again, he’s used to it.

“Spare room’s that way.” The guy mumbles; awkwardly gesturing his hand out to a hallway off to his right. “Second on the left.”

Niall nods and goes to find his way there but then his stomach has to betray him. It lets out an absolute ripper of a growl and Niall has to almost brace himself against the guy’s hallway to get himself through it. Once it’s over Niall’s body stiffens and he hesitantly glances back over his shoulder to see the guy standing where he’d left him, only now with his eyebrows raised and arms crossed. Niall gulps.

His lies aren’t very intricate or believable, that growl could’ve knocked them apart.

The guy does nothing though.

So Niall breathes a soft sigh of relief and stumbles his way down the hallway until he’s found his room for the night and locks the door shut behind him.

Once he’s had a look around and rummaged through the drawers of the cupboards in the room and affirmed he isn’t walking into something weird, cruel, and illegal, he kicks his shoes off and takes a seat on the bed.

This room has a television in it.

Sweet, beautiful, television, Niall thinks.

Niall instantly switches it on then shuffles under the covers of his bed and takes the remote with him. It’s only about half five in the afternoon. It’s too early to sleep. Niall thanks the gods that he’s been blessed with a magical box to keep him busy for the next few hours.

 

Just over half an hour later Niall’s immersed in an episode of Friends when there’s a light knock on his door. He swallows a lump in his throat and slowly approaches it, expecting something significant to be thrust upon him by this stranger, but nothing is. When Niall cracks the door open he finds the guy already walking back up the hall towards the kitchen as if nothing had happened. Niall frowns. He’s about to take a step out and follow the guy when he smells it.

That roast.

And the heavenly scent isn’t coming from just the kitchen now, it’s engulfed the entire apartment. Niall’s stomach growls loud and strong in demand for it but Niall can’t give it what it wants. He looks down at it and rubs his hands over it to soothe it and give it an apologetic look.

Then he sees it.

A plate of roast sitting at his feet, complete with roasted potatoes, carrot, peas, onion, and at least three other fancy gourmet looking vegetables Niall isn’t even going to bother to try and recognise. Next to the plate is a bottle of water and a knife and fork wrapped in a serviette.

Niall’s hit the fucking jackpot tonight.

Straight away he dips down, picks up his meal, and shuffles it back over to his bed and starts wolfing it down. It’s gone in minutes.

Niall isn’t sure what to do with his plate so he just leaves it on the nightstand for now. He skulls the entire bottle of water and sighs in relief as he lounges back against his pillows and pats his stomach. It doesn’t growl back, so Niall knows it’s oh so thankful.

Niall doesn’t hear any other voices for the rest of the night, so he assumes this guy lives alone, which he’s grateful for. He doesn’t need a spouse or flatmate coming home in total and utter shock and kicking him back out onto the street.

He falls asleep at around half ten with a full stomach and not a care in the world. He’s tucked into a nice, warm, soft bed in nothing but his trackies and boxers and he’s so, _so_ warm. His pillow is soft like fairy floss and his blanket encases him in gorgeous heat and he’s just so _happy_.

 

Until he’s woken up at about quarter eleven to the sound of his door clicking open.

Niall doesn’t bother opening his eyes.

He doesn’t bother turning to face the guy when he walks around to the other side of the bed.

He doesn’t bother moving an inch as the guy lifts up the blanket and lets out all of his beautiful heat and slides into bed behind him.

He doesn’t bother moving when the guy snuggles up nice and close, snakes his hand around Niall’s waist and over his stomach, leans over him and starts kissing his neck, and pulls Niall’s body back to rest against his so that Niall’s ass is flushed with his already half hard erection.

Niall should be surprised, but he isn’t.

 

He should have known.

 

He’d thought this guy was straight, that he’d just been putting him up for the night, but he’d read him wrong.

 

If Niall had known he wasn’t straight he’d have checked him over before coming back to his flat. He’d have checked that he didn’t look sleazy or into any weird fetishes, he’d have checked that he was in Niall’s league, he’d have checked that this guy was well groomed, and he’d have definitely checked that this guy wasn’t one of those dick-bastards that was going to make him suck him off all night.

But Niall hadn’t checked.

He’d thought this guy was straight.

He’d been wrong.

 

It didn’t matter though.

Niall, again, was used to it.

 

He’s used to being brought back to strangers houses for a night. He’s used to being bent over and fucked until he’s sore and earned his bed for the night. He’s used to being felt up and drooled over and expected.

He’s just used to it.

 

The first time it’d startled him. When he’d been new and foreign to all of this, and some random guy had just waltzed into his living room and mounted him on his temporary couch and started undoing his jeans.

But now he’s used to it.

He doesn’t protest, he doesn’t look alarmed, and he doesn’t run out of the flat into the cold, half naked and half hard.

He just lays there.

Just lays there as he feels himself being turned inside out and fucked raw by a stranger every couple of nights.

He gets a warm bed and a roof over his head and sometimes a meal and at least half the time a decent orgasm, so he doesn’t really see the need to complain.

 

So he doesn’t complain about this guy.

Now that Niall’s getting felt up and everything else he bothers to think about what this guy looked like. How he’d had decent honey brown eyes and a voice that’d had his stomach twitching and arms that could move mountains.

Niall definitely wasn’t going to complain about this one.

He’d be used for his good ten minutes then he’d be able to go back to sleep and back to his world of warm, blanketed bliss.

 

So Niall just lays there and lets this guy's hands do the work.

Lets this guy’s other hand snake beneath his side and wrap around his waist so that he’s being cuddled from behind. Lets this other guy lean back onto his side of the bed and drag Niall with him. Lets this guy continue on kissing down the side of his neck as his fingers begin to tug at the draw string of his trackies and slide them down to his knees.

The guy’s in his trackies too. Nothing else. His chest’s still kind of damp from the shower he’s just had and Niall can feel the huge muscles of his chest and arms contracting and moving behind and around him as he works him over.

Once the guy’s got Niall’s trackies and boxers out of the way he starts actually trying to get Niall up. He slings Niall’s arm around the back of his neck and starts sucking the nipple he can now reach into his mouth, as one of his hands starts massaging away at Niall’s inner thigh and the other starts squeezing his dick to get him nice and willing for his.

Niall doesn’t say much in bed.

He never has.

He’s a silent type.

He’ll lay there and let god knows who work him over and he’ll almost never say a word as they do it.

This guy seems to be encouraged by Niall’s complete and utter lack of resistance. If he’s happy about it though he doesn’t show it. He doesn’t smile or anything as Niall starts reacting and getting flushed and he doesn’t even mutter a few taunting words to see if Niall likes it like most try to do. He just goes about his work until Niall’s quivering in his hands and he sees him as ready to be fucked.

The guy lifts Niall’s left leg up to his chest and Niall keeps it there as he’s expected as the guy slicks his fingers up and starts working them into him. This guy’s good, Niall will admit. He seems to do everything just the way Niall likes and when he works him open his fingers are slow and patient. Niall’s grateful for the slow fuck when it comes along. He only normally gets them about once a month. All the rest are normally fast and hard and overpowering, but this one’s calm and sensual and Niall’s kind of losing himself at the feeling of it.

Until Niall feels his other leg being pinned up against his chest too. He keeps it there, like the other one, but when the guy starts slipping in a finger with his other hand to add to the already full two of the other, Niall starts to freak out. Two hands? He doesn’t normally get two hands. He’ll get two or three or four or sometimes no fingers from one, but never two, not at once. Then this guy adds another finger so he’s opening him up with two from each and Niall’s seriously thinking about making a run for it. This guys evidently going to be doing something weird to him if he’s stretching him this much and Niall doesn’t do weird in bed, with strangers at least.

Niall’s about to make a run for it when he realises why this guy’s doing what he’s doing. Niall actually focuses on the hard on rubbing painfully slowly and teasingly against his lower back and his jaw actually drops open.

This guy’s big.

Like, multimillion dollar porn star big.

Like, the type of big that makes hookers want to pay _him_ to have him fuck them instead.

 

Niall really can’t do this now.

He doesn’t do big.

He takes care of himself so he’s not all loosened up and bad in bed when he finally meets that special someone.

If he’s picking someone for the night that he knows will try to shag him, he makes sure to pick someone he’s sure isn’t packing.

 

But this guy’s packing.

A _lot_.

 

Niall starts writhing a bit to try and hint to the guy that four fingers is too much but the guy isn’t paying attention. He’s too busy removing his fingers and bundling Niall’s legs up to his chest with one arm and is getting his own dick out of his trackies with his free hand. The guy rolls a condom on and Niall doesn’t know what to do.

He can’t fit it.

It’s going to hurt, a lot, and it’s going to _hurt_.

Before Niall could protest though one of his legs was being let go and the other grabbed from the inside and being held back and this guy was nudging his head in. Niall’s eyes unfocused. He was expecting pain or stretching or something else but not this.

Not this feeling of

 

 _O h_.

 

The guy slid all the way in and gripped the inside of Niall’s thighs tight as he held him close and let him get used to it.

Niall’d never get used to this.

 

Like _holy fuck_ , oh god, oh god, oh _god_.

 

After a while the guy kind of got that though and started to rock his hips up and slide himself in and out of Niall and Niall became an absolute mess.

He was now practically laying on this guy as he got fucked from beneath and oh _god_ he never wanted to escape this feeling even if he could try to. He had his head fallen all the way back to hazily stare at the head board as this guy shagged him raw and he was so out of it and high on the feeling that he was completely immobilised from the waist down.

Only the waist down though.

Because he could still feel a set of lips sucking hard at his neck and finding their way back down to his nipple again as he was jostled towards heaven by the feeling between his legs. He could hear the bed starting to creak as this guy sped up and Niall had to clench his eyes shut and tighten his arm around this guys neck and cling to him tight.

Now the guy smiled.

For a split second, into his hair, before beginning to kiss softly behind his ear as he shagged him into a world Niall had never experienced before.

Niall gasped as his vision blurred over and he saw white, and he was practically screaming on the inside to ask for even more but his body wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t move and he didn’t speak during sex, it was his thing. If he ever, _ever_ did it’d only be because he was sick and he needed a stable place to live for a few nights to get himself back in shape, so he’d make sure to give whoever he was with a proper shag so that they’d want to keep him around.

He didn’t want this guy to keep him around. This guy was impossible to read and if Niall ever took this guy again he’d be having to finger himself for weeks to try and get himself off like this guy was getting him.

But Niall couldn’t help it.

He clenched his body tight and arched his back and drove this guy further into him as he began to see stars, and let loose probably the most pornographic sound he’d ever made in his entire existence. The guy gasped into his hair at it and went harder but Niall didn’t really feel much of anything after that for a good ten minutes.

 

When Niall was finally with it enough again he realised that the guy hadn’t left.

He was still practically beneath him.

Still with his arms wrapped around him and still gripping one of his thighs as he nuzzled his face into the side of his hair and pulled him close.

Niall still had his boxers tangled around one of his ankles and could feel this guys trackies beneath his legs as he hadn’t bothered to take his own off.

Niall laid there and assumed this guy thought he’d broken him and needed to stay a little longer to check he was alright. Niall assumed this guy was waiting for him to start breathing normally again before he got up and left like all the others did.

Niall was wrong again for the second time tonight.

 

The guy stayed.

And once Niall was back to taking in oxygen, he started running his hands over him again and yet again kissing his neck.

Oh god was this guy not done? Did he want more?

Niall couldn’t do more.

He definitely couldn’t do mo-

 

Niall fell asleep.

 

The next morning he woke up to something similar to an angel holding him close in its sleep and nuzzling into the crook of his neck from behind.

It had its legs tucked behind his and it’s arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

Niall didn’t want to wake such a creature.

He wanted to say thank you for the food and the bed but he didn’t want to wake the angel more, so he slowly and very, very carefully disentangled himself from it and attempted to gather up his clothes from the night before. Sadly though his trackies and boxers were both tangled amongst the angel and the sheets. He had no hope of getting them back without waking it.

Niall sighed and decided that the train station could wait another hour and climbed back into bed with the holy being with the golden skin and abs cut so firm that they were on par with concrete.


	2. A Moment of Weakness

When Niall woke up again half an hour later the angel was gone, and Niall could finally put all of his clothes on. Niall made sure to strip the bed because it had his stuff all over the sheets and put everything into the hamper in the corner.

He was homeless sure but he at least had manners.

After that he snuck down the hallway in hopes that the guy was in the shower, but he wasn’t.

He was in the kitchen, stark naked, cooking pancakes.

Niall’s stomach betrayed him again.

The guy turned around and looked Niall over and evidently deduced Niall was already leaving. He sighed and flipped over another blob of batter in the pan.

“At least stay for breakfast.” The guy mumbled. “You haven’t had a hot breakfast is ages, have you?”

 

Shit.

This guy _knew_.

He didn’t just think Niall was trying to pick him up.

He _knew_.

Niall swallowed a lump in his throat.

 

“Oh come on, what’s a few pancakes going to do?” The guy added. Niall didn’t need anything else. He hesitantly pulled back a chair at the kitchen table and took a seat. The train station could wait a bit longer. Within three minutes he had a steaming plate of sugary goodness set down in front of him and was almost crying at how beautiful all of that maple syrup looked. Niall was about to dig in when he realised that the guy was still stark naked as he whipped up some for himself.

A naked Adonis to look at and a free plate of pancakes.

Niall guessed the guy actually was an angel because he must definitely be in heaven.

Eventually the guy finished making his  though and started to turn back around and Niall had to busy himself with his pancakes.

Like okay the guy was obviously a complete stranger who’d expected sex for a free bed but he was allowed to appreciate fine things still, wasn’t he?

This guy was very, very fine.

Very easy to appreciate.

 

Niall was halfway through his stack when he realised he was being stared at. He tried to ignore it but, well, when someone you’ve just slept with is sitting naked across from you at a table and staring you down as you eat something sweet and sticky, you start to get ideas of your own. Ideas Niall shouldn’t be letting himself have considering that he didn’t know this person, and that he hadn’t willingly suggested sex himself in a long, long, _long_ time.

Mainly because Niall didn’t normally meet people he’d have to work for, but still.

Once Niall was done with his pancakes he didn’t have to worry about any of that though.

Because the guy was already on his feet even though he hadn’t finished his own pancakes and moving around the table to stand behind Niall.

Niall didn’t bother turning around. Not when he felt his chair slide back. Not when he felt a set of hands grip his waist and lift him to his feet. Not when he felt himself being pulled sideways and off the chair then back and in front of the guy. Not even when he felt the guy pull him close so that his body was flushed up against this guy’s chest and he could feel his semi pressed against the centre line of his ass through his trackies.

Niall was suddenly at a loss.

He wasn’t staying here another night.

He’d already eaten.

He could very politely reject this guy and leave his flat forever like he did all the others and never look back.

But for some reason Niall wasn’t moving.

He wasn’t saying no, he wasn’t flinching away, and he definitely wasn’t even attempting anything to begin with.

He was just standing there.

Standing there as this guy leant closer and pressed his lips to his ear and started kissing down his neck again.

 

Niall then did something completely unexpected to himself and shifted; leaning back only just the slightest, so that he was pressing up against this guy just that little bit more, and felt his body just give up.

The station could wait an extra twenty minutes.

Now he was turned on too and he honestly didn’t really want to go outside and brave the cold at this ridiculous hour of the morning just yet.

Niall felt the guy smile against his neck and start undoing the drawstring of his trackies again. Just like the first time though that smile was gone in a matter of seconds. And Niall was left being bent over a chair with his pants being yanked down to his ankles and a rather giant hard on rubbing up against him.

Niall welcomed it though. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back and had to bite down hard on his bottom lip to suffocate his moans, as this guy started up with the grinding and the stroking and the touching and the pumping and the fingering and the-

“Nghh... you clean?” The guy mumbled.

Niall was delirious and on fire at the feeling of this guy working him over. His skin was flushed and his dick was throbbing and he could feel hot breath being panted down his neck and he was almost trembling he wanted it so bad. Those words didn’t really help him much. The fact that this guy was that impatient to get into him made his knees go weak at the anticipation.

Niall pressed his lips together tight and nodded, then suddenly he was being lifted and thrown and laid down on the breakfast bar and bowls of fruit were clanging to the floor and his shirt was being yanked over his head to end up tangled around his shoulders and there was a stunning excuse of a human being wedged between both his legs and the trackies now taught around his shoes and ankles.

Niall felt himself be yanked forward until his ass was sticking out over the edge of the conveniently perfect waist-height breakfast bar and let his mouth fall wide open when those talented fingers were slipping back inside of him. Niall almost started to wonder why this guy was taking so much time but then he was reminded when he caught a glimpse of this guys’ dick which was currently leaning between his stomach and his thigh next to his own. Niall felt one of his nipples get bitten down on and tugged away from him and his breath hitched in the back of his throat.

Then the guy grabbed Niall’s waist and started to line himself up and Niall cursed himself for not having a care in the world that this was happening.

He didn’t normally sleep with strangers purely for sex but here he was, a slave to his own hormones, which were all screaming at him to lie back and spread his legs and let this guy take him back to that euphoric utopia between his thighs once more.

It’s not like Niall had anything better to do anyway.

Who says laying on this breakfast bar with his clothes not even properly removed under the floodlights should be something to feel guilty for anyway?

It’s not like Niall was ever going to see this guy again.

It’s not like he voluntarily opted for this every morning.

Even homeless people should spoil themselves once in a while, right?

Or in this case, let himself be spoiled by someone else. Repeatedly.

 

By now the guy had slid all the way in and his thighs were flushed with Niall’s ass and he was kissing down the side of Niall’s neck again as he slowly started to rock into him. Niall was trying his best to keep quiet but that’s kind of a hard thing to do when you’re being forced to sit up and hold yourself from slipping over the edge of a breakfast bar and further down onto a guy’s dick. Niall also could now see this guy fucking into him and gripping his thighs apart and that didn’t really help either.

Niall pressed his lips together as hard as he could again without drawing blood and forced his eyes shut. If Niall had had them open he might’ve caught a glimpse of this guy letting that smile slip once more, at the sight of Niall trying to deny how this guy could tear him apart and absolutely wreck him from the inside out.

But then again Niall probably wouldn’t want to see that anyway. He was a sucker for muscles and confidence and brute strength and this guy had them all and was using them to set his body on alight.

Niall could feel everything from the night before flooding back with every thrust. He could feel his legs going weak and his back arching and his body clenching as it writhed for more and that only seemed to drive this guy to go harder, faster, deeper, harde-

Niall let loose another pornographic moan and the guy groaned and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling as he sent Niall over. Niall could feel literally his entire world being fucked apart as this guy drove him through his orgasm and he was completely delirious with it.

When Niall’s sanity came back he felt this guy spill inside him and grip bruises into his thighs, he took a moment to wonder why on Earth this magnificent human had given him the two of the best shags of his life and two beautiful meals to accompany it.

The guy sat Niall back on the breakfast bar again but didn’t let him go. He gripped Niall’s hips and pulled him close then bent him back so that he could run his tongue all up and over Niall’s stomach with their bodies still flushed together and lick him clean. The sight and feeling of it had Niall feeling giddy all over. He wasn’t normally taken care of afterwards. He just didn’t get it.

He hadn’t put forth any special effort for this guy at all.

Like for fuck sake he was wearing an old pair of nikes, some trackies, a slightly decent shirt with a mustard stain on it, and all of that had been accompanied by his completely down hair and the scent of McDonalds.

He didn’t understand it.

He hadn’t even given this guy a decent lie at the start of it all.

Niall just didn’t understand.

 

But then again Niall didn’t really need to, because as far as he knew these things he’d been graced with were free, and Niall had learnt not to question anything that came for free in his times of need.

-Niall doesn’t count sex as payment because he’s brutally honest enough with himself to admit he’d be shagging someone new every night regardless of how much cash he had in his pocket.

-Niall doesn’t actually see anything wrong with shagging people for a place to stay at all.

-Evidently he’d rather have a place of his own but he honestly believes this isn’t so bad.

 

So Niall doesn’t see anything wrong with shamelessly thanking this stranger once he’s pulled out, and Niall’s pulled his pants back up, and has pulled down his shirt, and has slid off the countertop and back onto his feet and is stumbling for the door with a slight limp.

Niall doesn’t find it wrong that he’ll never see him again or even know his name as he clicks that door shut behind him.

Niall’s just used to it.

Used to stumbling off down a strange hallway and back to a train station to have a shower and some left over donuts.

 

Niall’s perfectly fine with it all.

 


	3. More

It was three weeks later that Niall laid eyes on this guy again. It kind of stunned him a bit, but seeing as he _was_ on the same side of town, he shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was.

Niall was currently drunk off his face and dancing with his mates when he caught a glimpse of that memorable frame again.

Granted it wasn’t as memorable with clothes on but that didn’t hold drunk Niall back from looking him up and down and almost throwing himself at the guy.

Peeing did though.

Niall was about to see if he could try and catch his eye when nature called and Niall had to excuse himself from his mates to go use the loo.

 

Niall allowed himself another appreciatory glance at the guy as he walked away though.

Beautiful ass.

Amazing shoulders.

Smile brighter yet somehow also sexier than anything he’d ever seen.

Right, Niall has to pee.

 

Niall sighed and stumbled through a now too dense crowd of moving bodies towards the men’s room, and nodded to himself when he noticed the huge line for the ladies. Niall’s always ever growingly appreciative of his gender these days. Being homeless is generally a lot safer as a male, that’s for sure. Uh, for the way he’s doing it, at least.

Right, need to pee.

Niall by some miracle managed to get the heavy door to the men’s room open and is trying his absolute hardest to not seem completely off his face as he goes to take a spot at the urinal amongst some complete strangers. Niall frowns to himself that none of them are cute. Niall also frowns to himself that he’s too drunk to manage this next challenge without wetting everyone around him with a wavering stream. Niall sighs and embarrassedly stumbles into a stall, undoes his pants, and pee’s into the toilet instead.

Niall takes a moment to appreciate how decent this bathroom is for one of a club/men’s room. There’s no graffiti on the walls, no ominous stains, and the floor isn’t wet with fluids Niall doesn’t want to think about like most places generally are. Not even some scrap toilet paper on the floor either. Niall’s somehow proud of himself for winding up in such a classy joint.

He’s drunk, okay.

Niall also takes a moment to affirm to himself how drunk he actually is.

It’s a universal thing, you know. Not being able to tell how far gone you are until you’re alone in a bathroom stall and away from the blaring music.

Niall thinks he’s glad to be having such a great night for once.

He’s staying at his mate’s tonight. He’d dropped his stuff off before they’d headed out and he has a warm bed and food and a place to sleep and warm food and _sleep_ waiting for him once he leaves this place.

No pressure at all to pick someone up.

Niall can get absolutely plastered and have the time of his life and not worry about having to find a stranger to half-assedly shag and take advantage of for the night. Niall doesn’t have to worry about any of his friends finding out about his current situation either. Because they’ve already decided to go to his mate’s afterwards. Not his.

Niall’s happy.

Niall’s also suddenly aware that he can hear voices mumbling outside the door and in the air around him and that there’re now a lot of shuffling footsteps on the tiles behind him.

Great, is someone picking a fight?

Are the police doing a random raid and search?

Does Niall have to move when he’s not quite prepared himself for it yet?

Niall sighs and actually uses toilet paper to dry himself (because he’s drunk) and is mid bend to the floor and reaching for his jeans when his stall door swings open behind him.

Fuck, Niall forgot to lock it in his drunken stupor.

Niall’s bare ass is greeted with a cold draft and a looming shadow. Niall panics and snaps back up to standing upright and forgets his pants. Niall instantly scrunches his eyes shut and waits for a fist or a boot or yelling or _something_.

So yeah, Niall doesn’t really expect it when whoever’s behind him steps closer, too close, and pulls the door shut behind them. Niall then hears the door lock and is suddenly over flooded with a different kind of fear.

He’s drunk, his pants and boxers are around his ankles, he’s facing away from his confronter, and he’s now locked in with the only hope of escape behind him, with his now immediate danger between them.

Niall goes to scream but suddenly a hand is clamping over his mouth and a firm body is pressing up against him from behind. He tries to push the hand off but then another is snaking around his waist and grabbing his balls and squeezing way too tight. He tries to elbow an arm back into the guy’s stomach but he misses and it results in the guy somehow being able to hunch over him even more and press his half hard on even further into his ass.

Niall’s about to burst into tears.

Then suddenly a pair of lips are trailing down his neck and that hand on his balls is moving to stroke his dick and Niall’s realising this isn’t a complete stranger at all.

It’s the angel of maple syrup and ripping orgasms.

Niall then feels that hand over his mouth turn into individual fingers, then individual fingers trying to find their way in, then fingers pressing over his tongue and being enveloped by his already sucking mouth.

Niall doesn’t have time to say anything before the guy is speaking instead:

“...saw you on the dance floor.” The guy mumbles. It’s not really a mumble. It’s more of a low, ridiculously frustrated growl that resonates throughout Niall’s muscles and seems to tighten them up in ways Niall shouldn’t be allowing, considering they and he should be fighting, not reacting. “...figured you might want someone in here with you.” The guy adds.

Niall tries to think back over how he was dancing; trying to figure out if he’d been making a slut of himself and had unintentionally lured this guy in, but he can’t remember. He then also remembers that this guy hasn’t really needed anything to start him up to begin with before, though.

“...figured I could help contribute to your great night.” The guys presses. “Make... make you feel just that little bit... _more_ , inside.”

It takes a moment for Niall to realise this guy is waiting for permission and trying to get a positive answer out of him.

This guy is _fishing_ for Niall’s consent.

He’s actually _fishing_ for it.

Niall feels like this guy just might be a little bit softer than his huge confidence and bulging muscles let on. That this guy might, just _might_ be a bit softer all over than Niall let himself believe. That this guy’s maybe a _lot_ softer than he himself cares to admit.

Oh, not his dick, though.

No, that’s now spreading Niall’s ass aside all on its own through this guy’s jeans and making Niall’s knees shake.

Niall’s knees are shaking because he _wants_ it.

Niall’s been fucked by a guy or two since this guy, but if he’s being even remotely honest, they haven’t even come _slightly_ close to this one. This one’s had Niall fingering himself every night for the past three weeks with absolutely no results. This one’s had Niall resort to fucking himself with something thick and hard every night. This one’s the reason Niall can’t let himself look at a zucchini anymore without feeling grossly ashamed and a little more than a bit self loathing.

Ugh, but Niall shouldn’t want it.

Niall doesn’t need a place to sleep tonight.

He doesn’t need a meal or a nice warm bed.

He has friends and a temporary home waiting for him outside this stall, and doesn’t need to subject himself to such ruthless sex and unnecessary stretching.

...

But Niall’s drunk and deprived and already gone to the trouble of wetting this guy’s fingers for him.

And it’d be such a _shame_ not to make the most of this clean stall.

And this guy is asking so, so confidently.

Yeah, Niall’s already hard and leaning into this guy to feel him clutch him tight a bit more.

The guy bites down on Niall’s neck and squeezes him just that little bit tighter.

“...really wanna give it to you” The guy urges. “...the _feeling_ you’re looking for.”

Niall’s not up for talking. Instead he opens his mouth, get’s this guy’s fingers out, and guides them between his legs.

The guy doesn’t say anything else.

Just groans and presses a hand to Niall’s back to bend him over a bit more and starts nudging his fingers in.

 

Things blur out from there for Niall for a bit.

He almost cries at how those fingers seem to hit every spot his can’t, falls forward and grabs at the toilet seat to hold himself up when he feels that dick both pushing him apart and pulling him back together at once, and actually lets himself rock back a bit to help get this guy in deep enough.

The guy doesn’t need help though. He keeps Niall’s ass flushed with his hips the entire time and the one time he doesn’t, Niall lets out a sound close to a whimper and from there on out the guy’s fucking into him twice as hard and slow as before.

Niall absolutely loves it.

This guy always seems to just push his clothes out of the way to get in him faster, and Niall’s never been more turned on doing it still half clothed with anyone in his life. The guy somehow makes it so intimate, too. He’s always so damn close and feeling Niall up and making him feel so _slutty_ in the best way possible.

Niall’s evidently taken a substantial amount of time to think about this over those three weeks.

When Niall comes, he squeezes this guy so tight and lets out that stupidly pornographic sound yet again, and then this guy’s groaning out and crushing Niall’s hips in his hands as he fucks them through it. Niall whimpers again when he pulls out, and Niall sees something flash through this guy’s eyes that just screams “let me do you again”, but they both ignore it.

The guy pulls his pants back up his thighs and zips them up, makes sure no one else will see Niall completely wrecked in the stall, and finds his own way out.

Once he’s left Niall locks the door shut again, and spends way, way too long making sure he’s stable enough to walk.


	4. Oh, fuck it.

When Niall finally did make it out of the bathroom, he’d sobered up considerably, and could actually see straight as he searched for his friends for the first time of the night.

His returned eyesight however also let him see the guy he’d just been with, dancing with a group of people on the other side of the bar. Niall couldn’t help but notice the absolutely stunning girl he was dancing with.

Niall felt kind of sick that he was probably just used as a tool for cheating.

He decided then and there that he’d forget all about that guy and stay as far away from the prick as he could for the rest of the night, as well as anytime in the oncoming future.  
After three patrols of the bar though, Niall soon realises that his friends (who were all as drunk as he was) are nowhere to be found, and that he’s probably just been accidentally ditched.

Now Niall’s freaking out.

His stuff’s all at his mates, and his mate has just moved into a new flat, and he’s still too drunk to be able to focus on what building and room number it was, and his phone’s dead, so he can’t call, and he only has twenty dollars left in his wallet for the week, which he needs for food, so he’ll have to walk or risk jumping on a bus without a ticket to get back to the station, where again, his stuff won’t be, including his phone charger, so he’s going to have to ask random strangers at the station if he can borrow theirs, and that’ll take hours or even days, and he needs the rest of his stuff, for work, and you know, living, and _fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fu-_

Niall probably looks near tears as he grabs at his hair in the middle of the dance floor, with his face twisted into one of almost pain and his shoulders shaking.

He’s screwed up.

He’s lost his mates.

He’s screwed the fuck up.

And to top it all off now he has to pick some random guy up so he can hopefully have a place to sleep tonight and maybe use their charger. But he can’t do that, he’s already just had his shag for the night. Niall can’t go and sleep with _another_ person. He can’t do it.

He just fucking can’t.

He’s screwed up.

He’s dug himself a fucking hole and he hates the only stupid fucking way out.

Niall fucking hates himself.

He’s drunk and stupid and now about to go hit on a random person and have to sleep with them and he’s going to fucking _hate_ himself for it.

This night has turned to fucking shit.

It’s fucking shit.

Everything is.

He can’t _deal_ with this.

Where’s Harry?

Why isn’t Harry here?

Harry could fix all of it.

Harry wouldn’t have let any of this fucking bullshit happen to begin with.

Niall _needs_ his Harry.

But Harry isn’t here.

 

Niall’s fucking alone and Harry isn’t here.

 

Now Niall’s close to tears.

But this is his fucking fault, and it’s stupidly harsh, but when you’re homeless, you don’t have the luxury to sit around and mope. You’ve got to pick yourself up and fucking deal with your actions and their consequences.

 

So Niall sighs, takes a deep breath, wipes his hands over his face, and sets out to start scanning the bar for someone to pick up.

 

Half an hour later though Niall’s close to tears again.

Everyone in this entire stupid club isn’t in his league.

Not one bloody bloke.

He’s doomed.

Now he has to lower his standards _and_ sleep with _another_ person and he honestly, truly, fucking hates himself.

Well of course there’re _some_ guys in his league.

Which all happen to apparently be that guy’s mates.

Brilliant.

Niall can’t hit on them now, can he?

He’s fucking screwed.

Niall starts grabbing at his hair again and once again he’s making that face and he’s about to break down in the middle of a stupid fucking dance floor surrounded by absolutely no one he knows an-

 

That guy sets a hand down on Niall’s shoulder, and scares the bloody hell out of him, and when he realises who it is he’s about to jerk away and cuss and swear and abuse the hell out of him, but he holds off.

He holds off because this guy looks like he’s genuinely going to fall apart right here if Niall does.

Niall has _no_ idea why this guy’s making such a face and he has absolutely no idea why but he can’t _stand_ it.

Niall genuinely, from the bottom of his heart, cannot _stand_ to see this guy make such a face.

Niall’s frown instantly drops and he’s left standing there and staring blankly and confusedly back as this guy stares him straight in the eye and affirms to himself that Niall isn’t going to fall apart.

When the guy seems sure, he grabs Niall by the hand and leads him straight over to his friends, practically throws him at two of them, and demands that they take care of him for the night.

Niall of course is about to protest and tell them all he’s fine and he can find somewhere else to stay but when he turns around to argue back, that girl is already grabbing that guy by the sleeve and dragging him away from Niall.

 

Niall’s left standing rather awkwardly and dumbfounded in front of two complete and total strangers.

Strangers, he can handle, though.

And he doesn’t want to see that guy come back and make that face again, so he decides to work with what he’s given.

Okay, all that aside, that guy’s friends are very, very nice to look at so Niall’s already forgetting about him anyway.

 

One of them’s tall, slender yet still buff, and with hazel eyes and a face that makes Niall want to build a shrine to it and spend the rest of his days worshipping those cheek bones.

The other one has scruffy light brown hair and eyes even bluer than Niall’s, and Niall can’t help but stare when he hears this one’s voice.

Yeah, Niall’s instantly forgotten about the other guy.

Niall’s now very focused on these two guys.

 

“Hey, uh... I’m Zayn.” Says the one with the face. Niall swallows a lump in his throat that’s a mixture of both shock and swoon and holds his hand out to shake. “And this here’s Louis...” The guy trails off; throwing a thumb over his shoulder to point at the one with the voice. “Uh... sorry, how do you know Liam?”

Liam.

_Liam._

Of course that guy would have a name like Liam.

Of course it’d be a name that’s short and easy for Niall to scream out in bed.

Niall’s very glad he didn’t learn his name up until now.

“Uh... I don’t, really.” Niall manages. “Just a mate I’ve known for a while now... uh, you know, through others and stuff...”

Niall feels weird calling Liam a ‘mate’ but he doesn’t really know what else to say. Zayn smiles and nods though, so again, Niall’s already forgetting about Liam.

“I’m Niall, by the way.” Niall adds. Both Zayn and Louis look genuinely surprised when Niall says that, and it takes him a moment to realise why.

       - The music’s just turned down for a moment, and they’d noticed his accent.

Niall can’t even hide his smile at how happy that makes him.

His gaydar’s currently about to blow up around these two and the fact that they seem to look at him suddenly a lot more now that they’ve heard his voice, makes Niall very hopeful.

Niall’s not planning anything, he just likes it when attractive people find him attractive.

You know, cause it’s really flattering, and all.

Okay he wouldn’t mind if these two did him in a bathroom stall either, but still.

“Liam said you needed a place to stay..?” Louis answers. “If it’s Liam who asked, then we’d be happy to have you on our couch if you want it.”

Niall’s now assuming that these guys trust Liam probably a bit too much. He doesn’t mention it though. He’s just been offered a couch and he’s about to burst with happiness that he doesn’t have to take anyone else’s dick tonight.

“Is that alright..?” Niall asks. “I know he’s just trying to help out and all... I wouldn’t wanna impose or anything.”

Okay, Niall may have been laying his accent out a bit thick then but they don’t know him well enough to notice, so.

Louis’ just finished shaking Niall’s hand and nods, grins back at him, and Niall can’t help but find him absolutely adorable.

Zayn claps his hands together and startles them both.

“Done! Sorted!” Zayn cheers. “Liam’s just left with Hayley, so do we wanna leave now, too, or?”

Niall shrugs and smiles back.

“I’m not fussed.” He grins. “I shouldn’t have a say in it, honestly.”

Louis shakes his head and claps him on the back.

“Nonsense!” Louis yells. Louis is already slinging an arm around Niall’s shoulder though and starting to veer him towards the exit. “You’re a guest! Of course you get a say!”

Niall then feels Zayn’s hand press to the small of his back to help guide him out as well.

Niall’s drunk and being escorted by two hotties back to their apartment, he’s happy again and back in heaven where he should be.

Niall’s never down for long.

It’s one of his most attractive personality points, he thinks.

 

A whir of one last drink though and a free cab ride later, Niall’s back at the same building Liam’s flat was at and Niall’s not quite so happy anymore. He tries to fight it down though.

And he’d offered to help pay for the cab so he shouldn’t be feeling guilty for that, either.

...

Niall’s honestly a little exhausted by tonight by this point, is all.

 

Neither the less, quite a few stair cases later, Niall’s standing in the same corridor as Liam’s flat on what he thinks is the same floor and he’s uneasy again.

Zayn seems to notice and slings an arm around his shoulders and pulls him in close.

He smells of expensive cologne and generally just, well, money, and Niall’s about to pass out at how attractive that is.

“This is us.” Zayn murmurs. Niall can feel Zayn’s breath on his ear and rolling down his neck and he actually feels his dick twitch inside his jeans at it. Niall tries not to go bright red and kind of succeeds. “We’re across from Liam, but he normally takes Hale’s home afterwards, so he’s probably not in.”

Niall’s stomach twists at that, but then he’s glad the cheating bastard isn’t around so he’s back to smiling in two seconds.

Louis unlocks the door and Zayn leads Niall in, but when Niall looks back up at Louis he’s already on his way down the hallway, and Zayn’s chuckling in Niall’s ear and making Niall probably forget even his own name at this point.

“Lou’s having a shower, he always does when we get back from a club.” Zayn helpfully murmurs. Niall goes a bit redder out of reflex. Zayn sits down on the couch in their living room and looks up at Niall expectantly until Niall sits too. Zayn then twists to face Niall completely, brings a leg up onto the sofa, and leans sideways against the back of the couch to give Niall his full attention. Niall does the same. “So, what do you do?” Zayn asks.

Niall bites his lip and takes a moment to respond. He’s always kind of embarrassed when it comes to talking about work.

“I um, I model... sort of.” Niall manages. Zayn’s eyebrows shoot up but he doesn’t say anything, so Niall continues. “Nothing important or worth mentioning... just, you know, like, for the men’s stuff of an online shopping website.”

It’s true, shockingly.

Niall does model clothes online.

Niall does earn decent money when he does work.

“Ohh?” Zayn hums. “I model, too. But for a few brands. You know, uh... Calvin’s my biggest, out of them all.”

Niall shoots to his feet out of reflex with wide eyes.

“You’re lying.” Niall says, straight out.

Zayn breaks into a laugh and Niall can’t help but frown and take a step back.

“Nah, ‘m not.” Zayn smirks. Niall shakes his head almost violently.

“Calvin? As in Calvin Klein?” Niall insists. “Impossible. Absolutely, completely, fucking, bloody, impossible.”

Zayn stands up and starts undoing his pants, just like that.

“What? You wanna see?” Zayn asks.

He doesn’t even ask it as if he’s teasing.

He _genuinely_ wants Niall to believe that he is, in fact, an underwear model.

Niall then can’t help but notice a rather large magazine poster framed up on the wall in the darkness behind Zayn, and as Niall’s eyes focus on it more and more and flicker between Zayn and the poster at least eight times, Niall starts to realise they’re the same person.

Niall immediately turns bright red and slumps back down into his seat and buries his face straight into his hands. Zayn’s full on proper laughing now and taking a seat back next to Niall again. Slightly closer, not that Niall would even notice right now. Because he’s an idiot, right? Thinking he’d actually been being hit on by a fucking underwear model.

Niall’s so embarrassed he wants to crawl into a ball and roll himself out the door, down the corridor, and right down all those flights of stairs.

Niall doesn’t though.

Because he’d been hoping for something with such a fine human, yes, but he’d came here on a guarantee of a couch to sleep on and he’s still fairly sure he’s got that.

Obviously his confidence has taken a huge blow now, though.

Zayn’s _still_ laughing.

“Oh come on, I’m not laughing in a bad way!” Zayn tries to assure. It doesn’t work. “I think your reaction was adorable! Honest, I swear, honest!”

Niall hunches over a little more. Zayn slides a _lot_ closer.

Niall notices this time.

And suddenly Zayn’s not laughing anymore and Niall’s face is somehow out of his hands and staring back into those hazel eyes and he’s finding it hard to breathe.

“...Look, you uh, you don’t have to, but uh...” Zayn starts. “I really do think you’re... really do think you’re something else.”

Niall tries not to move until Zayn’s finished and it’s honestly the hardest thing he’s ever had to do in his entire life until this damn moment.

“...but I uh... look, I wanna kiss you, alright?” Zayn presses. Niall’s absolutely stunned. “I get if you don’t want to... cause we’re both a bit drunk and all, and we like, _just_ met and... but yeah... just a bit of kissing would be...”

Zayn slides a bit closer and rests his hand on Niall’s knee and gives it a squeeze.

“It’d be fine... right? It’s not like we’d be doing anything else, just kissing...” Zayn murmurs.

Zayn’s now almost on top of Niall he’s leant in so close.

“...making out a bit... maybe a bit of holding...”

So. Fucking. Close.

“...So..? You up for it?”

Niall almost shrieks because honestly, does this guy think he’s a virgin or something? It’s bloody precious. Like _honestly_ , what kind of question is that?

Niall instead responds with a shy smile, grabs the back of Zayn’s neck, and pulls him forward until their lips are pressed together.

 

Niall’s happy again, because he hasn’t been kissed by someone who’s not trying to blatantly take advantage of him in such a long, long time.

Niall’s not even sure if he should call some of those others ‘kissing’ at all. Not real kissing, at least. What he did with them was never real kissing.  
But this is real kissing.

This here, with Zayn, in the dark on the couch, is real kissing.

Niall’s got his fingers woven into and around Zayn’s hair and Zayn’s got his hand cupping Niall’s face and pulling him in closer. Zayn’s not shoving his tongue straight down Niall’s throat. Zayn’s slowly yet confidently asking to be let in, and smiling wide and stupidly sexily when Niall does.

Niall’s really happy.

Until Zayn’s hand is sliding down his side, over his thigh, and beginning to palm Niall through his jeans.

Niall wants to be even more happy now.

Niall groans and fists his other hand around Zayn’s collar and pulls him on top of him, and Zayn of course responds by getting Niall on his back and fumbling his hands to Niall’s jeans to get them open.

They’re still kissing the entire time, and Niall’s half sure he’s dreaming, but neither the less he welcomes it.

Like he’s making out with and getting felt up by an underwear model, how on Earth did this day manage to turn from good to bad to shit to absolute heaven?

Niall smiles probably a little too wide against Zayn’s lips. Zayn smiles probably a little too wide back.

Zayn’s got Nialls jeans around his ankles along with his boxers in a matter of minutes, and soon Niall’s quivering from Zayn’s fingers and Niall’s practically begging for more.  
With his eyes, of course.

Niall’s a silent type, remember.

 

Zayn’s got Niall on his knees on the couch and grabbing at the back of it with Zayn standing up behind when Louis comes out of the shower. Zayn’s literally just starting to press himself in and both he and Niall freeze, eyes wide, fingers digging way too hard into skin and couch, and Niall swears at that moment the entire _world_ falls silent.

Like, shit.

He’d completely forgotten about Louis.

Louis who lived with Zayn.

Louis who lived with Zayn who was a good friend and neighbour of Liam’s.

Louis and Zayn who were good friends and neighbours of Liam who cheats on his girlfriend with random blokes off the street.

Louis and Zayn who may be dating which Niall hadn’t considered until now and most definitely hadn’t considered that like his friend, Zayn could also be a cheater.

Niall’s now fucking terrified he’s about to be beaten up and thrown out half naked and completely hard and maybe quite possibly be left for dead.

Niall’s about to grab his jeans and run when Louis stumbles into the living room in nothing but a towel and freezes in the doorway. Still with his toothbrush in his now completely slack mouth.

Niall clenches the couch so tight it actually makes a sound that both Louis and Zayn can hear.

Niall can hear his heart thrumming and pounding away in his ears. Niall can feel his dick starting to go limp just from fright. Niall can feel those last two ounces of alcohol in his system draining themselves completely out.

Then Niall can also feel Zayn pushing himself all the way in and Niall can feel his body jerking and his head throwing itself back.

Niall gasps and grips the couch tighter, and Zayn groans to himself and starts rocking into Niall and making the leather of the couch squeak.

 

Niall’s confused.

Terrified.

Overwhelmed.

And being fucked in ways he hasn’t in a really, really long time.

 

He doesn’t know what to do.

He wants to run, scream, collapse, and beg for more all at once.

 

He does none of the above though.

He just kneels there and watches through hooded eyelids as Louis reappears without the towel or the toothbrush, and starts striding leisurely towards them.

 

Niall knows then.

Niall knows his midnight shag with an underwear model is about to turn into a hot guy sandwich.

Niall can’t help but groan, fold his arms on top of the couch beneath his head, and gasp out-

“Agh... fuck me twice.” He grits.

 

Niall watches as Zayn and Louis both share a look and a giggle, then convinces himself one hundred percent that his accent is what has just gotten Louis now half up. Louis’ halfway towards them and the couch when Niall decides he wants to do things to Louis himself and see just how adorable he really is.

“Ahh... let Zayn do me... so come round here and I’ll do you...” Niall manages. He points to the back of the couch in front of him, and Louis raises an eyebrow, but moves where Niall wants him willingly enough. “Can I blow you..?” Niall gasps. Louis’ all red cheeks and padding feet and kind of sleepy looking and Niall really can’t help himself. Louis’ bloody precious too. “I want to... if you’ll let me..?”

Louis nods and bites his lip, steps forward until his knees are flushed with the back of the couch, and squeezes his eyes shut when Niall grabs his bum with both hands and pulls him forward.

It only takes a few kisses from Niall to the side of Louis’ dick for him to get completely up, then just like that Niall’s licking him in and Louis is gasping and matting his hands into

Niall’s hair and pressing further forward against the couch.

Zayn takes this moment to start fucking into Niall again.

Niall gasps, groans, and grips Louis’ ass way too tight and takes him right down his throat.

It takes Niall a moment to realise that for someone who’d been very happy about not getting laid tonight, he’s in fact very, very happy for getting laid tonight.

...by three different guys.

Niall’s turning himself on even more just thinking about how slutty he’s been. And yes, he is one of those people.

Anyway, back to the present, Louis’ making the cutest moans Niall’s ever heard and wants to hear more.

Niall pulls his mouth off of Louis for a bit to slick his fingers up, but gets kind of distracted when Zayn puts a hand on his lower back to bend his ass up more so he can take it deeper. Niall closes his eyes and grips the couch tight with his head tilted back for a bit. With his fingers still in his mouth. Then he feels Louis’ hand start to loosen from his hair and he’s brought back to Earth.

Niall somehow manages to guide Louis until he’s got one leg mounted on the back of the couch and his dick back in Niall’s mouth. When Niall starts to nudge his fingers in, Louis cries out, grips Niall’s hair tight, and forces him to take his dick right down his throat. Within seconds Niall’s working Louis over from both sides and Louis is rocking back and forth in his spot in and out of Niall’s mouth and up and down onto Niall’s fingers.

Niall thinks Louis is absolutely precious with his eyes half shut and his head tilted back and his mouth fallen slack. It’s like this is Louis’ first time getting done like this and he can’t help but almost shake as he tries to fuck himself with Niall harder.

Niall wants this night to last a lot longer, but he doesn’t really have the stamina for it anymore. Especially since Zayn’s got both of his hands gripping Niall’s hips and is slamming Niall back and forth onto him as hard as Niall can take it.

As much as Niall regrets it, he’s letting little “ngh, ngh, ngh, ...mmm!”’s slip right out of his mouth and into Louis. That just makes Louis grab onto him tighter and bounce himself faster.

Louis’ getting the best feeling of his life from Niall and Niall’s getting the best feeling of his life from Zayn and Zayn’s getting the best feeling of his life from watching the two of them as Niall starts (unconsciously) rolling his hips to get Zayn to touch him even further.

Niall doesn’t even realise it’s happening until he’s squeezing the both of them too tight as they buck into him as rough as they can and his knees are giving out. Niall’s lower half kind of collapses into the couch and Zayn plows him into it as he finishes the both of them off, and Niall’s so overwhelmed and stunned from that that he’s nudging into Louis so deep and taking him so far down and latching onto him so tight that Louis is crying out and fucking himself through it.

Niall’s never seen something so perfect and it just makes the heaven between his thighs feel twice as much stronger.

When Louis has let his hair go and Zayn’s hands are slowly sliding down his thighs from his hips, Niall only then realises how slutty he must look; still clutching onto the both of them like that. Before Niall can even bother to get embarrassed though, Zayn’s pulling out and Louis is climbing over the sofa edge to grab Niall’s face and force their lips together.

Before Niall really knows what’s happening he’s got his tongue down Louis’ throat with Louis beneath him on his back and Zayn kissing down his spine from behind.

Niall realises these two are going to fuck him to sleep tonight.

When he wakes up the next morning he’s in (he’s guessing) one of their beds with the two of them tangled up with him and the sheets, and Niall thinks that just maybe, as long as he gets to say goodbye to Harry on the way, he could die right here and now and have absolutely no regrets.


	5. Doomed

It’s about nine fifteen the next morning when Liam gets a knock on his door.

He doesn’t bother checking it (at this hour it’s always either Zayn or Louis), and groans from his spot on the couch and forces himself to his feet. He’s hungover and doesn’t really feel like company, but then again he’s suddenly reminded about the blonde he’d sent with them, and wants to find out what happened to the kid.

Hell, it might even be the blonde himself at his doorstep.

Liam speeds up his pace a bit and swings his door open, and instantly becomes disappointed when he sees Zayn standing there in his trackies and nothing else. Liam sighs and leaves Zayn standing at the door without even a welcome and heads into the kitchen to get started on cups of tea for the both of them. Zayn pouts and follows him in, shutting the door behind them.

“...what time did you get back in? Hales make you stay the night again?” Zayn mumbled on his way into the kitchen after Liam. Zayn took his belonged space leaning against Liam’s countertop and ran a hand over his face as he waited for an answer. Liam shrugged and turned to face him after clicking the kettle on.

“I don’t know... half four? Half five? We drank more at hers, things kind of blurred out for a bit.” Liam grumbled.

Zayn managed a laugh then regretted it. His muscles ached and his head was still kind of blurry. He didn’t feel fresh, to say the least.

And half in a good way because of last night, but anyway. Liam kind of got that Zayn needed a few minutes to compose himself first.

Soon the tea was ready and the two of them were trudging into the living room in queasy silence.

When Liam realised that his tea was still capable of burning his tongue though, he decided to push for once.

“So..?” Liam mumbled. Zayn’s currently staring intently at his cup and wishing he’d just blown on it before taking a sip. Now Zayn’s going to have to go through this talk with a slight lisp. Brilliant. “What’s this about?”

Zayn sighed.

“What else?” Zayn asked.

“Ah, Louis.” Liam affirmed. Zayn nodded and slumped back into his seat.

“When is it ever about anything but Louis..?” Zayn breathed. Liam shrugged then realised it was rhetorical.

“What’d you do this time?” Liam asked. Straight to the point, Liam is. Zayn scoffed.

“Nothing, actually. That’s the problem.”

“Huh?”

“Everything between us has been fucking brilliant.” Zayn mumbled. “Of course that was a recipe for disaster.”

“Huh?”

“I want more, Liam. I’ve never known I could want something so much until last night.”

“Last night?”

“It was incredible, mate.”

“What was?”

“Louis, man, Louis.”

“Explain it properly you twat.”

“That Niall kid, man, he was fucking incredible. You should’ve seen the faces he was pulling out of Louis. I’ve never seen him so turned on, or so _vulnerable_ like that. It-It fucked me up, Liam, I can’t- I’ve never even seen that side of him before and it was just so-“

Liam’s currently frowning at the coffee table as he tries to follow along and not realising that his hand’s about to burn off from his mug.

“- I fucking want him, Liam. I’ve never wanted something so much in my entire life more than I’ve wanted this.”

Liam’s now on the brink of piecing this together but he’s not quite there yet.

“I almost broke down this morning when I woke up and saw him cuddled up to Niall like that. Like in _my_ fucking bed and everything, he was just there, cuddled up with him instead of me, and even at this very moment it’s driving me bloody _insane_ that I just left them there like tha-“

Liam’s realised “Niall” must be his blonde.

_His_ blonde.

Who he sent off to Zayn and Louis’ of all places last night.

How drunk was he?

What the actual _fuck_ was he thinking?

“Fucking, none of this is coming out right, but, you just had to have seen it, alright? How fucking undone Louis was being gotten by this kid like- I’ve never, _never_ seen Lou even slightly like that, or heard- fuck, the sounds he was making! He’s never made anything even close to that with me! I’m gonna-!”

Liam doesn’t have time for this.

He’s just sent that blonde without a home off to two wolves in sheep’s clothing without even thinking about what would happen and he’s fucked up.

He didn’t think-

He didn’t think Nia-

Niall? It was Niall, right?

He didn’t think Niall would feel like he had to-

He didn’t think he’d be pressured into-

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

_Fuck._

Is that how he’s been living?

Is that how he saw his night with Liam, too?

As payment for a room?

Zayn’s still talking but Liam’s now about to throw up.

Liam didn’t think he’d been taking advantage of a homeless guy.

He’d never been picked up at a grocery store before, he’d just wanted to see how it would play out.

But when he’d gotten Niall home Niall had disappeared into the spare room and had not came back out. Liam thought he’d at least come out to say thanks for the food but nope, he’d stayed put. Liam had figured maybe he should just go to Niall.

Liam hadn’t been expecting sex like that.

Sex without kissing, that is.

But Niall hadn’t made that move so Liam had even tried to get him to make it the next morning too but with still no results.

And last night at the club Liam had just been way too pleased to see him again and way too drunk to properly control himself.

 

He didn’t think-

 

This wasn’t good.

 

It was no fucking good.

 

Liam had to fix this he had to make it right he had to apologise or set things straight or _something_ -

“Hey, Liam where are you goi-“ Zayn cut himself off because Liam was already halfway out the flat and charging for Niall.

...it was “Niall”, right?

Liam stormed right down his hallway, out his front door, across the corridor, and was about to jerk Zayn and Louis’ open when it suddenly opened for him. Liam skidded to a stop and braced himself against the door frame to prevent himself from colliding with Louis. Louis who was of course still riddled with sleep until that moment, was now evidently wide awake, heart pounding.

Zayn caught up to Liam and had a real hard time looking at Louis wearing only Zayn’s other pair of track pants.

But never mind that.

“Wha- L-Liam, what the fuc-“

Liam had no time for Louis either. He stormed straight past him too and charged for Zayn’s bedroom.

Oh god, Zayn’s bedroom. He was going to find _his_ blonde in _Zayn’s_ bedroom and he just couldn’t fucking handle tha-

Liam busted Zayn’s door wide open but to his complete and utter disbelief, Niall (?) wasn’t there.

Liam heard Zayn and Louis behind him and span around to ask them where he’d went but Liam could tell with once glance of Louis’ face that Louis had probably been on his way over to ask him the same thing.

Liam felt his heart sink so far down that he actually felt it when it hit the bottom of his stomach.

Niall was gone.

Liam wouldn’t have it.

 

 

 

Niall’s kind of limping when he makes it back to the train station.

He’s hung over and sore and yet somehow on top of the bloody world but he’s still limping. He doesn’t really mind though because the thought that he’s now a homeless guy with a limp is freaking hilarious to him.

Niall made sure to charge his phone at Zayn and Louis’ last night so he’s at least warming up for a good day. He’ll call his mates and get their address again and go get his stuff, bring it back here again, and well yeah, done. Problem sorted.

He can swing by his mate’s work and scab a slice of pizza and promise to pay him back (which he always does) and that’s dinner sorted. And he’s got a loaf of bread in his locker along with a jar of peanut butter so that’s lunch down too.

Today’s going to be a great day for Niall.

He’ll use the station’s staff shower and shave and fix his horrible bed hair and head off to work tonight too. Niall’s in with the janitor that works at the station, so he gets a free permanent locker and an emergency place to sleep in the supply room if he ever needs it. Free daily showers and a loo, too. Niall really needs to give Pete another grateful hand job the next time they meet. Pete’s hot though so Niall’s more than happy with that.

Right, moving on.

Niall’s got to go get his stuff so he can be clean and decent for the factory shoot tonight.

Maybe he’ll get lucky and not have to fake flirt with females in front of a camera for once.

Maybe they’ll give him Jake again.

Jake’s pretty.

Niall’d do Jake.

Anyway.

Niall’s midway into his embarrassing “I forgot where you live” conversation over the phone when suddenly-

 

“Niall?!”

 

Niall freezes up.

_Completely_ up.

He starts to turn around with wide eyes and a gaping mouth because no, that couldn’t be-

“Niall!!” Harry beams. Before Niall can even recognise his beloved mop of curls he’s being tackled into a huge, warm, enveloping, Harry hug.

Niall instantly drops his phone and wraps his arms around Harry and crushes him back.

Okay he does more than crush.

He grips Harry so _damn_ tight he’s scared he’ll fall apart if he ever, ever lets go.

Harry holds him back just as hard.

Niall knows he shouldn’t be letting his feelings show this much. He knows he shouldn’t have Harry’s curls tangled around his fingers. He knows he shouldn’t have his face buried in Harry’s neck as he breathes in his scent over and over again. Knows he should let go before Harry or he does something they’ll regret.

But it’s just so fucking _hard_.

Niall hasn’t seen him since the summer.

Harry’s off at university now and over three hours away and they know they can’t make it work but that doesn’t mean Niall doesn’t want to kiss him until his lips are raw and swollen.

It definitely doesn’t mean he’s not fighting every cell in his body that’s screaming at him to break down here and now just so that he can force Harry to come home.

Ah, but then again now neither he nor Harry have a home.

Harry moved out to the college dorms.

Niall was too stubborn to admit he couldn’t keep up with the rent by himself.

Granted it was for Harry’s sake, but still. He’s still stubborn.

Eventually Harry pulls back and take’s Niall’s face in his hands though and Niall’s borderline hysteric.

“Babe..?” Harry breathes. “You okay?”

Shit, get it together Niall.

Get it the _fuck_ together.

“...yeah...” Niall breathes. “Just missed you. A lot.”

Harry grins back at him and Niall’s about to burst into tears.

He’s missed his Harry.

When Harry’s sure Niall’s alright he pulls back and shoves his hands into his pockets to keep himself from latching onto Niall again.

Niall forces himself through it.

 

“What’re you doing here?” Niall asks. “Why didn’t you call to tell me you were back? Where’re you staying?”

Harry frowns and fuck, Niall knows that’s the exact question he shouldn’t have been asking.

“Ni... what’s going on?” Harry mumbles. Completely avoiding the question. “I went to the flat to surprise you but when I tried to buzz in the guy said you didn’t live there anymore?”

_Fuck._

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Niall’s also just realised Harry’s got his travel bag slung over his shoulder.

Like _oh fucking fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuc-_

“A-Ah... I-I moved out...” Niall manages. Well, at least he’s talking. He’s doing better than he thought, at least.

“Oh...” Harry mumbles. His smile grows back almost instantly though, and Niall’s wishing he’d stayed at Zayn and Louis’ and faced Liam instead of accidentally walking into this. “...where you staying now then? Let’s go.”

Niall’s near tears again.

He’s fucking screwed.

He can’t explain any of this to Harry it’ll break his fucking heart and he’s royally, fucking, _screwed_.

“Ni..? Where’re you staying now?” Harry pushes. His smile’s fading again and _fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuc-_

 

A hand clamps down on Niall’s shoulder.

“With me.” A voice intrudes.

 

Niall’s frozen again.

He knows that voice.

He knows it so _damn_ well since all he’s been doing is denying it’s all and the only thing he’s been thinking about.

Niall’s not of much use to this new puzzling development so Harry asks directly instead:

“Huh? Who’re you?” Harry frowns.

Liam tightens his grip on Niall’s shoulder and pulls him into him, flashes Harry a smile, and holds his other out for Harry to shake. Harry takes it hesitantly and sizes Liam up as he does it.

“Liam,” Liam greets. “And you are..?”

Liam’s still got his hand gripping Niall tight and Harry’s still frowning but all Niall can think is

_What the fucking dickens are you doing here did you fucking follow me what the fuck are you playing at why are you here how are you here why the fuck fuck fuckety fuck are you her-_

“Harry.” Harry answers. “Niall’s best mate.”

_And ex-lover_ , Liam immediately determines.

He’d seen that hug.

He’s not stupid.

Harry turns to Niall.

“Ni? You staying with this guy?” Harry asks. Harry wouldn’t normally doubt such a thing but Niall looks similar to the Mona Lisa right now as he internally freaks out and Harry’s getting more than a tad worried. Liam does something nice and helpful and digs his fingertips into Niall’s shoulder a bit too tight. Niall winces and comes back to life.

“Ah... y-yeah...” Niall manages. He has no idea what ridiculous sex Liam is going to want in exchange for this favour but being taken advantage of is a lot better than breaking Harry’s heart into a thousand tiny shards of despair instead. “Th-This is Liam.” He helpfully ads with a hand gesture.

Harry glances between the two of them and at the grip Liam has on Niall and pretty much sums the whole scene up.

Liam’s obviously blatantly claiming Niall as his.

Harry immediately wants to determine if this new hunk is good enough for his precious Nialler. He passes the physical immediately, though. Harry can openly admit he’d jump Liam himself if he had the chance.

He dresses well too.

Harry can tell they’re both hung over but Liam’s wearing an ironed button up that makes his muscles look stupendous and Niall’s wearing a shirt that’s inside out, so, you know, points for that.

“You’re visiting, right? Where’re you staying?” Liam cuts in. “We’ve got a spare room if you need it.”

Niall’s freaking the fuck out.

As usual.

Lying about where he’s staying is one thing, but bringing Harry back to a stranger's house and continuing to hold up that lie is something completely else.

Harry decides if Niall approves of Liam then Harry should at least return the kindness he’s showing him.

“Really? I haven’t got a place, that’d be brilliant.” Harry grins. “Yeah Niall?”

Harry needs to make sure Niall’s comfortable with this first.

Niall always comes first.

Niall’s trapped like an ant in one of those pet food bowls surrounded by water.

Like what the hell is he supposed to say?

No?

This is fucking bullshit.

Niall nods, Liam and Harry grin and exchange words of celebration, Liam grabs Harry’s bag for him, Harry slings an arm around Niall’s shoulders and leans in real, real close:

“He’s cute.” He murmurs. Niall knows better than to fall for that.

“You’re cuter.” Niall answers.


	6. Why?

On the way “back” to Liam’s, Niall’s freaking out about many things. Things like; to what extent am I planning on going along with this? To what extent is Liam planning on going along with this? To what extent are the three of us going to reach before Harry realises that I’m pretending to live with a complete stranger who I’ve let shag me on multiple accounts as a form of payment? An hour? Two hours? A day? A weekend? A week?

Niall’s got a better idea of the mechanics of rocket science than he does of his current situation and very close future.

Niall then realises as they walk through the train station, that it doesn’t matter how ignorant he is about what’s going to happen, as long as Harry’s ignorance is even greater.

Evidently keeping this balance of ignorance means Niall has to talk to Liam the very _instant_ he can get him alone for a minute.

And that alone is a whole other problem.

Niall’s current conversations with this guy consist of a terrible excuse of a lie and pick up line, a “thanks for the food, roof, and dick” embarrassment, a drunken dirty talk, and well, that’s about it.

Niall realises that yeah, even though he thinks everything about his current life situation is fine, and that just because he doesn’t _hate_ his current life style, doesn’t mean that there isn’t something very, very wrong with it.

Like Niall’s about to walk into an apartment he barely knows and pretend it’s his, with a guy who’s abused him as a cheating toy and an ass for sex, and try and convince probably the only person he’ll ever come close to seeing as “the one” that he is in fact, not homeless.

Niall realises that yeah, something’s desperately, disgustingly wrong for him to not only be considering this as a viable way out of telling Harry the truth, but to actually be going through with it without so much as a complaint.

Niall’s slapped in the face with the fact that his life is suddenly a lot, _lot_ more screwed up than he let himself believe.

 

Niall’s also slapped with Liam’s low, quietly murmuring voice suddenly way too close to his ear:

“Do you keep something here? A bag or something? Unless you want to sneak back here later, it’s better if you go grab it now, yeah?” Liam murmurs.

Niall’s kind of stunned for a minute because, well, he’s never heard Liam string so many words together before. Also, Niall had terribly enough, not written Liam off as the intelligent or quick type. Then again this is probably the least surprising thing out of all the other surprising things that have happened today so Niall’s casting this one aside either way.

“Ah... y-yeah...” Niall chokes.

Niall’s panicking about something else now.

Because if he takes his stuff out of his locker, Pete’s going to assume he’s moved on to somewhere else, and Niall’s not going to have a shower or an emergency roof to come back to once this is over.

But Niall needs every scrap of his stuff left to pull this off, so Niall’s got no choice in the matter.

“I’ll-I-I’ll tell Harry to wait here for a moment, so can you follow me there? I can’t talk in front of him about this.” Niall manages. Liam bites his lip and looks Niall over for a minute then nods, so Niall flocks over to Harry once they reach the area outside the hallway leading to the lockers and toilets, and asks him if he and Liam can have a moment or two alone for a minute.

This time Harry looks Niall over, then nods.

Niall nods to himself and grabs Liam’s arm and drags him around the corner and out of sight.

 

Niall knows he should be bombarding Liam with a thousand questions right now but first he needs to get his stuff. Before Harry gets suspicious and comes looking for them. He also needs to figure out how he’s going to explain his sudden addition of luggage once they get back.

Niall goes straight to his locker at the far corner and opens it up, reaches for his stuff, and is about halfway through stuffing it all into his backpack when Liam re-shows up. Liam straight away comes up right behind Niall, presses a hand to the small of his back, and helps him reach in and pull things out.

This raises another thousand questions inside Niall’s head to add to his current list but he doesn’t have time to voice any of them out.

“My full name’s Liam Payne, I’m a song writer at Syco, and I’m twenty four in August.” Liam mumbles. Niall isn’t really sure why he chose those facts in particular but they help none the less.

“Niall, Horan...” Niall answers. “Part time model online and twenty four in September.”

Liam raises an eyebrow for a moment but before Niall can snap back at his sassy gesture it’s already gone and replaced with a serious head nod instead.

Niall’s so bloody confused.

And now trying to hide a slight blush of embarrassment.

Liam must be getting the biggest kick of his life out of this or _something_.

Once Niall’s done clearing everything out Liam takes his bag from him too and kind of just stands there looming next to him for a bit. Niall’s still so bloody lost.

“You all good?” Liam soothes. “Anything else?”

_“Why?”_ is what Niall wants to respond with more than anything but Liam’s hand’s still at the small of his back, and Niall just can’t seem to get the words out. Niall nods to himself and Liam pulls the locker shut.

_He’s probably gonna make me blow him in some disgusting bondage outfit,_ Niall thinks.

By the time they get back to Harry Niall’s already got the neck cuffs and chains planned out in his head. Niall’s so focused on that that Liam’s the one who ends up coming up with some excuse about grabbing something from a friend to explain Niall’s backpack.

Harry notes to himself that the new addition of luggage to Liam’s body just makes him seem that much more fit. Harry just sees something so attractive about the way Liam’s doing everything he can to help Niall out without seeming obvious about it.

To Niall, at least.

To Harry it’s extremely obvious that Liam’s entire body language from the moment they met has yet to be directed at something other than his Irish ex.

 

A train ride later and after a very forced conversation of reminisce, they’ve reached the floor of Liam’s apartment. And already things are about to get, well, forced. Liam’s just struggling to find his keys when Harry puts them through the first test:

“Ni, open it up for him! He’s got his hands full!” Harry chimes. Niall loves Harry to bits but already he wants to punch him.

Niall’s having a rough day, alright?

“Ah... th-that’s-“ Niall stutters. Brilliant, Niall.

“I lost his key a few days ago.” Liam cuts in. “It’s alright, I got it.”

Liam’s got his door swinging open already and Niall’s now near passing out.

How the hell is he going to do this?

 

Liam stumbles in first and set’s Harry’s bag down on the breakfast bar, then turns back around to check they’re following him in. Pulling that door shut behind them feels like signing his last name on the dotted line in exchange for his soul to Niall.

None of them were really expecting Zayn and Louis to be sitting on Liam’s couch with a paused game of FIFA in front of them as they glance back at them from over their shoulders.

Niall’s suddenly in a room with four different extremely hot guys he’s slept with and he feels just a tad slutty.

Liam clears his throat and jerks his head towards the door to signal for Zayn and Louis to get out.

“I’ll talk to you guys later, yeah?” Liam adds. Just so he isn’t _completely_ freezing them out of this unexplained situation. Zayn and Louis raise an eyebrow at each other but neither the less switch off the TV and show themselves out. On the way Louis gives Niall’s ass a squeeze which to everyone doesn’t go unnoticed.

Once they leave though Niall’s guard’s right back up.

“Niall’s in with me, so your room’s down the hall and second on the left.” Liam calls out to Harry. He’s already half way down it himself with Niall’s bag in hand. “Back in a bit!”

Um, no, Niall’s not alright with that.

Niall’s not up for his beloved Harry accidentally stumbling in on him being bound and gagged and teased with a hundred toys at once. Niall’s not keen on that at all.

But he’s got no _choice_.

Niall takes a moment to breathe and sighs to himself.

If he had life his way he’d be back in his and Harry’s flat with Harry snuggled up against his chest as they watch some dodgy sitcom in bed and Harry’d still have the only dick Niall’s ever sucked.

But no, Niall’s stuck here, instead.

Niall wants to cry.

 

While Harry settles himself into his room Niall joins Liam in apparently theirs and still manages to come up with nothing really useful:

“Hey, you alright?” Liam asks when Niall walks in. Liam’s already got Niall’s bag sat down on the un-slept in side of his bed and Niall’s trying not to think about what’ll happen later tonight with Harry in the next room.

As Niall does that he takes a moment to look around at Liam’s stuff and he realises that wow, this guy’s pretty damn rich.

Niall finds him even more attractive and yet easier to hate at the same time.

Niall wishes he were a rich song writer with hot Calvin models and cute as fuck angels like Louis as neighbours and friends.

Niall hates Liam just a tad more.

Niall realises he hasn’t answered Liam’s question yet.

“Ah... y-yeah...” Niall manages. How original, Niall. “Wh...”

Niall doesn’t want to finish that sentence.

‘What are you planning to do with me later?’

‘Why did you follow me?’

‘When are you going to kick us out?’

‘Why the _fuck_ are you making it near impossible for me to hate you with all your kind gestures and friendly touches and soft voices?’

“What is it?” Liam asks.

Niall bites his lip and glances towards Liam’s walk in wardrobe.

God damn why can’t he be rich?

“Aren’t you scared we’re gonna rob you or something?” Is what Niall coughs up. Like _why_ did he have to say _that_ of all things _why why why why why why why wh-_

Liam raises an eyebrow at Niall and this time he doesn’t try to hide the teasing behind it.

“Are you? Gonna rob me?” Liam muses. He’s got his sleeves rolled up and his arms folded across his chest with his muscles bulging and _Jesus fucking Christ you’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen_ , Niall thinks.

Niall realises he’s staring then blushes a little and tries to subtly look away.

“...no.” Niall mutters. _Why couldn’t you not be a cheating, borderline blackmailing, asshole that I met and shagged off the street?_ Niall also thinks.

“Brilliant.” Liam smirks. “Now what do you want tonight?”

_‘what do you want’?_

Niall’s never been asked how he wants to do it before. Uh, by people other than Harry, that is.

He especially didn’t expect this guy of all people to be the one to ask it.

Niall goes bright red for no major reason and runs a hand through the back of his hair and shifts his gaze back towards Liam’s closet.

Such a nice closet.

Maybe Niall can sleep in there tonight and avoid his proper dicking.

Right, Niall needs to answer again.

“...doesn’t matter to me...” Niall murmurs in the cutest voice Liam’s ever heard. Liam has to clench a fist behind his back to keep control of himself. Then he realises what Niall’s talking/thinking about and his eyes go wide.

“Uh, how about pizza then?” Liam adds. More to make Niall subtly think he had the wrong idea without him having to bring up the subject that he’d blatantly taken advantage of him before, but still. Liam’s decided to be subtle about everything. As far as he’s concerned, from now on, Niall’s a just newly moved in roommate who he definitely hasn’t shagged in multiple locations around his flat already. Liam’s definitely never going to mention anything like what they’ve done already again, that’s for certain.

Niall’s eyes go wide too and he brings his eyes back to meet Liam’s. He rips his hand away from his head, too. You know, to make it even more obvious that he’d been thinking about other, more sinful things.

Smooth, Niall.

“Ah, p-pizza sounds great.” Niall blushes. Then Niall remembers. He was going to scab off a mate tonight. He doesn’t have any more money left. He needs his last twenty to get to the shoot tonight and for other things on site. Niall doesn’t really know how to say ‘Can you add this to my sex tab? Both Harry and I’s share? I’ll work it off I guess, I swear.’

“I-I don’t have any cash left...” Is what Niall manages to choke out. Damn it Niall. Liam’s jaw does that ridiculously attractive jutting thing and Niall has to pinch himself to try and not imagine if Liam’s going to do that later tonight when he’s spanking Niall on top of his duvet.

“Ah, don’t worry about that. It’s on me.” Liam answers. “Harry’s share, too.”

Niall’s been here five minutes and he’s already racked up what he’s assuming to be an extra two blow jobs. Brilliant. Niall clears his throat.

“I um... I’ve got a shoot tonight. I’ll catch the tube there but, but Harry’ll be left here and-“

“I’ll give you a ride.” Liam cuts in. Niall blinks a few times. Ah, car sex. Away from Harry. Niall’s actually _smiling_ because this is probably the best option. “Yeah?” Liam adds.

“Y-Yeah...” Niall answers. Niall realises he’s got to start sounding more articulate before Liam thinks he’s on the street because of a disability. Liam nods back. Then seems to remember something. He straightens up and unfolds his arms to reach into one of his pockets and starts pulling something out. Niall’s jaw falls slack.

“Ah, here.” Liam mumbles. “Before I forget.”

Liam hands Niall his phone and Niall’s left looking one hundred percent useless.

He’s forgotten his own phone on the floor of a train station.

And Liam of all people actually thought to pick it up for him.

Probably so he can call Niall to soothe his dick whenever he needs, but still.

“Do you want me to put my number in? Better to do it now, right?” Liam continues. Yeah, better for Liam to sext him instead of feeling him up under the table right in front of Harry to let him know they need to fuck.

“Yeah, what’s your number? I’ll chuck you a text.” Niall says. Good start, Niall. No more mumbling.

Liam tells Niall his number and Niall sends him a simple text reading: “Yo.”. Niall wonders how many thumbs Liam’s going to add next to his name to suggest something dirty.

“Ni?! Where you at?! I’m starving, you wanna go for some chips?!” Harry calls from somewhere down the hall. Niall starts to freak out but before he can start shaking, Liam pulls out his wallet and hands Niall two fifties.

_Two fifties._

“That’ll last you til next pay, right? It’s soon, isn’t it?” Liam mumbles. “If I’m not here when you get back, just ask Zayn or Louis to buzz you in. You remember their number, right?”

“Ah... y-yeah...” Niall chokes. Back to smooth, Niall. “Th-Thank you...”

“Niiiiiii, I’m hungryyyy!” Harry sings from the hallway.

Liam gives Niall a “shoo shoo, go, go” gesture with his hand and Niall gives him a forced smile before he ducks out, just like that. Niall’s pretty sure it isn’t his imagination that he can feel Liam’s eyes burning into his ass as he leaves.


	7. Logic

When Niall comes back from his two hour lunch with Harry, he’s got himself back together again. He’s figured out most things he has to look out for, figured out what he needs to ask Liam most, and most importantly has laid down a few general foundation lies that he’ll need to tell Liam later on when he’s shagging him up against the window of his car.

Niall can multitask like that.

Now Niall’s only problem is having to buzz Louis and Zayn from the ground floor and get them to let them in.

Okay it’s not Niall’s _only_ problem, but still.

Niall knows this mere task shouldn’t be a problem to begin with but he ran out of their flat not even twelve hours ago after a very lengthy three way and he’s kind of ashamed for not even saying goodbye. Especially to Louis.

Louis who was clinging so tightly and cutely to him in his sleep.

Okay now Niall’s reaching for their number just so he can hear Louis’ adorable voice again.

Niall’s however saved when he hears a sudden “Ah, Liam!” come from Harry’s mouth somewhere behind him. Niall spins around and finds Liam stumbling up behind them as he gets out his keys. Niall’s kind of stunned when Liam throws them to him instead.

“Here.” Liam calls as he does it. “I got you a new set, so we’re even, yeah?”

Niall realises Liam’s trying to make it seem like they’re already close enough for teasing threats. Niall grins and plays along. Niall sees this as fun facial practice for his modelling since his clarity lunch.

“Yeah, we’re good.” Niall smirks. “The hounds are off.”

Liam scoffs and whips out his own set as he shoves Niall aside to get to the box.

“So slow.” Liam grumbles. Niall can’t help but laugh at how cute Liam suddenly is. He’s got a pouty lip and slumped shoulders and Niall finds himself unable to look away. Niall then realises shit, what the hell is he doing? This is Liam, not a friend, a stranger.

...mostly.

And a manipulating stranger, at that.

Niall tries to get rid of his smile as naturally as he can.

Harry’s left standing behind the two of them and frowning at Niall’s expression to himself.

Harry knows when Niall fake smiles.

That wasn’t a fake smile.

Harry’s getting more increasingly jealous by the second at the idea that Niall’s apparently been living with this guy for over a month and hadn’t told him anything about it until today.

Harry _hates_ the idea of Niall living in a world he doesn’t know about.

 _Especially_ in one with someone Harry determines hotter, or at least equally as hot as he is.

But Harry’s the one that let Niall go to begin with so Harry has no right to say anything. Ever.

Harry hates himself more than anything for doing such a stupid thing.

 

Liam notices Harry’s staring at the two of them and slings an arm around Niall’s shoulder and drags him inside. Harry follows behind.

 

The rest of the night seems kind of surreal to Niall.

It’s a weird thing to be sitting at the dinner table in a stranger’s house; pretending he’s lived there all along, and try not to count down the minutes until he’s going to be pounded into the backseat of a car.

Niall’s trying his hardest not to think about it but his thoughts always lead to Zayn and Louis across the hall which makes him think of taking it on leather seats and he’s right back to where he started again.

Thing is if it was _bad_ sex then Niall’d be able to think about other things without a care in the world.

Thing is though that Liam’s easily in Niall’s top ten shags ever, three times, and Niall’s still weak to his hormones.

His hormones are looking so, so forward to Liam.

 

Niall’s finding it near impossible to think of anything but Liam today.

 

At eight that night Liam gives Niall a ride to the factory and, well, Niall unintentionally ruins it.

When Liam pulls up onto the factory’s estate, he drives the car up along the peer and parks it about fifty meters away from where everyone is. The alleyway’s dark and twists around behind a building and Niall thinks _good, no one will see us back here_.

Liam cuts the engine and the two of them end up sitting there in awkward silence for a bit. Niall thinks that since Liam’s doing so much, he’s expecting him to do all the effort.

Niall unbuckles his seatbelt, struggles around until he’s on his knees in his seat, then swings a leg over Liam’s waist, grips his shoulders, and takes a seat on Liam’s lap. Face to face.

Liam doesn’t budge.

Niall realises he really does have to do all the work.

He crosses his arms in front of him as he grabs at the hem of his shirt and starts pulling it off, but suddenly the shirt’s not moving. And Niall doesn’t know why.

Until he sees Liam’s hands gripping it next to his.

Niall bites his lip and goes to lift his arms to help Liam undress him but the shirt unexpectedly doesn’t slide up, but back down. Niall glances up at Liam and their faces are suddenly way too close and fuck, Niall’s forgotten Liam likes to keep him clothed when he fucks him and Niall’s suddenly just a huge, blushing, giant ball of uncertainty.

Liam grips Niall’s waist tight and starts sliding his hands up, but takes Niall with them, and in an instant Niall’s suddenly being placed back in his own seat.

_Oh?_

Liam starts leaning closer and _ah, yes, the driver’s seat is too cramped, duh._

Liam grabs the handle on Niall’s door and jerks it, swings it open, then pulls back to his own seat.

“...I’ll see you at home, yeah?” Liam mumbles.

Niall blinks a few times in stunned disbelief.

_Huh?_

_Huh?_

_Huh?_

_Huh?_

“Ah...” Niall chokes. How articulate, Niall.

Niall reasons Liam must be decent enough to shag him after work so he doesn’t have to limp his way through this shoot. Niall bites his lip and gets out of Liam’s truck.

“Mmm... s-see you later then.” Niall answers, before slamming the door shut.

Liam gives a forced smile, watches Niall walk away until he’s safely with everybody else, then floors himself away from there as fast as he can. He’s got to go home and have a wank now.

Damn it Niall.

 

Niall gets back in at about twenty past four that morning. The sky’s still black and the elevator is eerily silent on his way up. Niall reasons that’s probably why no one seems to use it. That and the unsettling odour of mushrooms. Niall will take the stairs from now on.

Niall fumbles his keys out of his pocket on the way down the corridor and finds himself at a loss as he does it.

Keys?

He hasn’t had keys in what feels like decades.

And why on _Earth_ did Liam judge him as safe enough to be given such a thing?

Maybe Liam’s a songwriter by day and a crime fighter by night. Maybe he doesn’t see Niall as much of a threat since he’s half his size. Maybe the availability of Niall’s ass is just a higher priority on the rich guy’s list.

Niall sighs.

He knows what’s waiting for him in bed. Knows Liam’s probably got spotlights and hand cuffs and whips all set up ready to taunt and punish him with for taking so long. Knows he’s probably going to have to ask to be gagged so Harry doesn’t catch a whisper of it. Knows Liam’s going to take his body back to that unearthly realm of bliss he resents to love so much. Knows he’s not actually dreading any of it.

On his way to Liam’s room Niall takes a moment to check in on Harry though. Cracks the door, peeks his head in, feels his entire spirit lift as he sees Harry’s beautiful sleeping face nuzzled into his pillow, smiles, then shuts the door behind him and continues on to Liam’s.

This isn’t the worst option, right?

Sure he’s whoring himself out for Harry’s sake but Harry’s in _town_ and _smiling_ and _near_ and maybe it’s all worth it.

When Niall crack’s Liam’s door open though he’s yet again, stunned.

The lights are off, Liam’s (what looks like) asleep on his side, facing the door, and there are no signs of bdsm to be seen.

Niall frowns and tip toes around the bed to what must be his side and is about to climb in when he realises he’s still in jeans and sneakers. Niall laughs to himself and pulls them both off. He’s a tad delirious from a lack of sleep, at this point. He’s about to get in a second time when he notices his bag sat on the floor next to a chair against the far wall. A chair on which his trackies are laid out for him. Niall frowns again.

Ah, Liam’s not asleep at all.

He’s just napping until Niall gets back and puts on the clothes he’s laid out for Niall to be shagged in.

Niall bites his lip and goes to put them on then climbs into bed.

The moment the covers settle, Niall’s holding his breath. He’s about to feel the bed shift and a hand snake around him and into his boxers and a bloody python pressing against him from behind and he’s so, _so_ nervous.

Niall’s got to do a good job if he wants to keep Harry in the dark.

Niall’s already been waiting for ten minutes when he realises Liam isn’t moving.

Niall’s suddenly kind of, maybe, just a little, no what’s he saying? That’s stupid, disappointed. He’d spent the entire shoot slightly uncomfortable because he’d been expecting car sex and left deprived and now he’s _still_ deprived an-

Niall fell asleep.

 

The next morning when Niall woke up he was surprisingly not disoriented. He’s used to waking up in strange beds after all.

Niall’s a bit more disoriented when he stumbles into the kitchen with sleep in his eyes and finds Harry munching down, shirtless, on a bowl of cereal where he sat a few weeks ago with a naked Liam. Niall bites his lip.

First challenge; faking a morning routine.

...well, lunch routine, apparently.

It’s half one and Liam obviously hadn’t woken Niall up.

Speaking of Liam...

“Hey... where’s Liam..?” Niall mumbles. Harry frowns and makes a face back at Niall with a mouth full of cereal.

“The first time I get to hear your morning voice in months and it’s about Liam? Harsh.” Harry sulks. Niall rolls his eyes to hide the fact that his heart’s about to flutter out his mouth and fling itself at Harry and those dimples. Then sighs and goes to open the fridge.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Niall grumbles. Harry sighs and shoves more cereal into his mouth.

“Mr Muscles and perfect facial hair went to work. It’s Monday, remember?” Harry answers. Niall takes out a carton of milk and almost squeezes it way too tight.

“His muscles aren’t that big.” Niall mutters. Harry rolls his eyes.

“I bet your face hurts every morning after using those rocks as pillows.”

“Huh?”

“...nothing.”

“Harry.”

“...that was bad, sorry.”

“It’s not like that.”

“...you sleep in the same bed.”

“It’s his bed.”

“You’ve lived together for over a month.”

“I’m capable of living with someone and not dating them.”

It’s true. Technically.

“He’s just your type though.”

“I don’t have a type.”

“You _do_.”

“What? What is my type, then?”

“Cute guys.”

“That’s not a type.”

“I mean _cute_ guys, the ones that giggle back at you with goofy smiles and soft voices.”

“Well then you’ve just proved yourself wrong because Liam isn’t like that.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not _lying_.”

“Well he’s been making googly eyes at you since we met and you were finding him pretty adorable yesterday.”

“What?”

“You were.”

“When?”

“That flirty thing at the speaker box?”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I? He’s got muscles too! That’s like your ultimate personality type, crossed with your ultimate sex type!”

“University hasn’t made you smarter.”

“And _stubble_! You _love_ stubble!”

“I do not, you never had stubble.”

“Oh, now you’re comparing us?!”

“Harry, are you drunk?”

“Slightly.”

“It’s half one in the afternoon.”

“Well you left me alone when you disappeared with Mr Muscles last night and I got bored, so I went out.”

“And you’re _still_ drunk?”

“You know my name... not my story.”

“Go to bed.”

“Carry me? Come cuddle me?”

“ _Harry_.”

“...sorry...”

“What for?”

“...’m not drunk.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“No I’m just- i-it’s...”

Niall sighs and sits down across from Harry at the table. He’s got cereal poured into a cup and he’s going to have to drink it because he doesn’t have the luxury of looking through drawers until he finds a spoon in front of Harry. Harry clears his throat and stares down at his bowl.

“...wasn’t expecting you to be living with someone...” Harry murmurs. “...was kind of hoping I’d just get to cuddle up with you on the couch and listen to you play guitar all break.”

“Harry...”

“I know, I _know_ , I shouldn’t be thinking like that but-“

“Haven’t you seen anyone? At uni? Isn’t it supposed to be overrun with cute guys playing shirtless sports all over campus?”

“...I’m doing business and English... all the guys in my course are hipsters and pretentious people who are _always_ in unfitted suits.”

“Babe, you’re a hipster.”

“But you’re not!” Harry insists.

Niall clenches a hand around his mug and closes his eyes to steady himself.

He wants Harry to quit uni and never go back and never leave him again but he can’t say it. Harry left. Niall pretended everything would be fine and let him go. Harry’s smart enough for a degree and a future and Niall _can’t_ be responsible for pinning him down.

Niall cares about Harry too damn much.

Which is why Harry _can’t_ find out that Niall’s homeless.

He can _never_ find out.

Niall would sell his own kidneys to keep Harry from finding out.

 

Drama and every piece of logic in his head aside, all that doesn’t stop Niall from reaching out over the table and wrapping a hand around Harry’s.

It feels wrong and like cheating but Niall can’t help himself. Harry needs his Nialler.

“...let’s go for a walk, yeah?” Niall soothes. “We’ll go through the park... and get pretzels... and you can sit and coo at the ducklings while you feed them bread.”

Harry puts on his brave face that makes him look like an adorable five year old about to face the swings alone and Niall realises crap, he does go for the cute type.

 

Niall kind of wishes his fake time at Liam’s will at least last the week before he’s dumped back out. Niall could sleep with the same guy for a week. It’s not unheard of.

Niall takes a quick side glance at Harry who’s now slipping into his boots and wrapping his beautiful collarbones up in a scarf and kind of wants to drag him out into the rain and kiss him stupid. Niall does drag him out, but the kissing he resists.

Harry in general, he resists.


	8. Stupid

The next sex related thing between Niall and Liam isn’t between them at all. It’s taken three days since what Liam refers to as “the incident” and he’s finally summoned up the courage to drag himself over to Zayn and Louis’ and ask what happened. Cause you know, Niall’s a new roommate and all. Liam can’t ask about previous sex partners when he’s supposed to be avoiding sex talk at every single cost. Both sadly and happily for Liam, Zayn and Louis are happy to oblige.

“His mouth!” Louis screeches, straight out, no rubber knives for Liam’s heart, he gets the fourteen inch dagger. “The things he did with that thing! I’ve never _felt_ something so sinful!”

Zayn restrains himself by biting the inside of his cheek.

“Christ when he got all gaspy with me and pulled away to start kissing Zayn instead I almost broke down!” Louis adds. “Zayn! Tell him what he said! Tell him!”

Zayn swallows for a second. He’s set on Louis now but, you know, he can still get a hard on just _thinking_ of Niall and his stupid accent.

“He said “co-“

Louis cut Zayn off.

“No! No! Do it in the accent!” Louis insists. Zayn sighs.

“C’mere and make yourself useful.” Zayn imitates. Louis groans to himself and falls dramatically back into the couch.

“Make yourself useful!” Louis screeches. “Almost came then and there!”

Liam makes a face to himself. Because of Louis. All internal screams and feelings about Niall are buried deep, deep under the surface in the pit of his stomach that he likes to call Hell.

Then Liam realises.

“Wait, you were making out?” Liam slips, and, well, shit. Zayn and Louis both blink a few times.

“We had a three-way..? Yes we made out..?” Louis answers. Liam fights back the urge to grab them both by the face and fling them out of the apartment. “Is that strange or something...?” Louis adds.

Liam bites his lip. He’s not really sure if he should tell them he wants to claim all rights and access to Niall for himself and to tell them to back the fuck off but, well, they’ve probably figured it out from when he panicked the other morning anyway, really.

“...he never kissed me...” Liam forces out. He buries his face in his hand. “Fuck, why didn’t he kiss me..?” He mutters.

Zayn and Louis get it instantly.

“Liam... you should’ve said something when you gave him to u-“ Louis starts but Liam doesn’t want to hear it. He knows he should’ve told them his intentions from the start. Knows he should’ve thought about the whole situation more clearly. Knows he has no right to call dibs on Niall to begin with. Louis gets that too and decides to veer off topic. “...how the hell did you do it without kissing, then?” He questions.

Liam takes his face out of his hand and sees Louis and Zayn both genuinely curious and can’t help but laugh. He runs his hand through his hair and over his face.

“It was really...” Liam starts. He takes a pause to fight off a strong blush. “Really heated.” He manages.

Louis scoffs.

“Heated? Heated doesn’t give me mental pictures!” Louis whines. Zayn pinches Louis’ leg. “You’ve got me wondering now! Give us a _bit_ more than that!”

Liam sighs to himself.

“I mean he like... just, you know, let me do him.” Liam mumbles. Louis gives an un-accepting look. “Fuck, I mean... like... he just...” Now an impatient look. “...it was really submissive, alright? Like I got my hands on him and he just... got really slutty and needy for it. He just...”

More blushing.

A _lot_ more blushing.

“Let me throw him down and lay into him without even questioning it.” Liam finishes. He’d tried super hard to describe that without sounding disrespectful or anything but, well, it’s a hard thing to accomplish. All three times had been really dominating without Liam intending it. It’s one of the reasons Niall’s got Liam so hooked but that’s a different topic all together.

Louis groans to himself and shifts back in his seat.

“God, I don’t blame you mate.” Louis curses. “He really embraces it. His hormonal side, I mean.”

“One of the best shags of my life.” Zayn groans. “...fuck, mate, good luck to you.”

Liam laughs at that. He’s already explained how he doesn’t know a lick about Niall and now that he’s trying to put him up with ulterior motives but, he hasn’t mentioned the homeless part. If they knew about that they’d be lighting candles and praying for him to the gods. Zayn stands up and starts heading for the loo.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about us. We’ll try something on his friend but we’ll keep the passes we wanna make on Niall in check, yeah?” Zayn calls. Zayn’s walking with a slight limp and Louis knows why but, he’ll wait for Liam to leave to deal with that. Liam laughs at Zayn’s remark.

“I saw you two talking in the hallway, I’m sure Harry’d be up for it!” Liam calls back. Zayn does some form of a cocky fist pump as he walks away and Liam snickers before shifting his attention back to Louis. Louis who’s splayed himself out across the entire couch while somehow still sitting up and staring at the ceiling, groaning to himself.

“...I’ll let Niall go for you.” Louis eventually pouts. “...for science.”

Liam scoffs.

“You’re obviously hooked on him.” Liam retorts. “In the end it’s Niall’s choice. Don’t push yourself.”

Louis rolls his eyes.

“’M hooked on his accent and morning sky coloured eyes, I’ll find something else.”

Liam glances at the bathroom door.

“...thought hazel coloured eyes were your thing.” Liam smirks. Louis throws a cushion at him.

“Shut up.” Louis grits.

 

 

Five days after “the big move” as Niall calls it, he’s a little on edge. It’s a Friday night and Harry’s going out with some of their friends from high school and although Niall really wants to join and watch over the entire thing, he’s kind of broke. Harry has money from working at the cafeteria on campus and Niall now has money from his paycheque but he wants to save every cent of it that he can manage. He doesn’t know how long this thing with Liam’s going to hold out and if Liam demands financial compensation at the end of it, Niall _has_ to be able to pay it back.

Niall’s ass can’t afford Niall not being able to afford to pay it back.

Right, Niall’s on edge because it’s been five days and five nights and Liam hasn’t laid a finger on him.

They sleep in the same bed and whenever Harry’s around Liam will sling his arm around Niall’s shoulders or grip his waist or sit close to him on the couch or at one point, even give Niall a back rub after work, but Liam hasn’t _done_ anything yet.

Not even cuddle up to Niall in his sleep.

Not even graze his leg with a stray foot.

Niall’s about to burst with nerves.

Harry hasn’t been out of the flat for a night until now and Niall _knows_ what to expect.

He’ll be in the shower when he’ll feel those huge hands on him and those lips on his neck. He’ll be cooking up dinner when he feels that hard on pressing into his back. He’ll be asleep when he feels his hands being bound and his ankles being pinned on both sides of his head.

Niall’s actually shaking because he wants it so much.

He wants to pay Liam off for the week in one go and it’s been _five bloody days_ and Niall can’t hold out with just wanking anymore. He’s not an addict and he won’t stoop to any lows to get his fix but, his body’s been used to a certain amount of dick a week and he’s honestly just feeling very deprived.

Not just the “this guy can’t do me like Liam did” deprived but now also the “I’ll literally tie myself up and ride you til the sunrise if you mention it” kind. Also, Niall’s a slut and he’s proud but this is also about business.

Protecting Harry business.

Paying his debt business.

Rewarding his body for all the stress he’s been putting it through this week business.

Right, moving on.

 

Niall’s sitting on the couch, watching a movie when Liam walks in. Niall’s learnt from his last mistake that Liam is to be the one to take charge. Niall must do nothing in order to play his part. He has to wait for Liam to start all of it.

Liam doesn’t.

“Is this Die Hard three or four?” Liam mumbles from behind the couch. He’s doing something with something on the breakfast bar and Niall kind of really hopes it involves leather or batteries.

“Was three, now it’s four.” Niall mumbles back. Liam scoffs.

“All you do is watch movies, do you do anything else?” He smirks. Niall rolls his eyes. He’d be doing Liam right now if he’d just ask.

“I’d normally be playing the guitar after dinner but, you know, sold it and everything.” Niall answers.

Liam quirks an eyebrow at that. He turns to face Niall even though Niall’s not looking and gives him a stunned look.

“Guitar? You play?” Liam bewilders. He’s found a way in.

“Yeah... well, kinda.” Niall sighs. “Again, sold my guitar, so.”

“...I’ve got one, you wanna test it out?” Liam smiles. He needs to suppress that smile before Niall turns around, he thinks. Niall slams pause on the remote.

“What? Really?!” He practically shouts. He’s just spun around in full blown excitement and _god damn_ Liam pulled his smile back way too close for comfort. Liam chuckles.

“I write songs, remember? Yes I have one.” Liam smirks. Niall bites his lip in an attempt to control himself. Liam bites his back for the same reason. Kinda.

“C-... Could I really give it a try..?” Niall mumbles. He hasn’t felt the thrum of the strings beneath his fingers in so long he’s actually anxious for it. But Liam’s putting he and Harry up and lying for him and cooking for them and he can’t be _this_ much of a good thing, can he?

“Gimme a sec, yeah?” Liam answers. He turns to head down the hallway and Niall assumes he’s off to add this favour to the tab. Niall’s figured Liam has a booty book somewhere with all of Niall’s debts being constantly updated. Niall even imagines it’ll have entries like “used extra milk at breakfast, do him twice as hard,” and “Harry didn’t pick his towel up from the floor, double Niall’s spanking.”

Oh god, Niall forgot about Harry’s quota.

He’s actually _trembling_ because of how hard he knows Liam will give it.

Then Liam comes back in with a guitar and Niall forgets about sex the second he lays eyes on it.

The thing’s beautiful.

It’s ochre brown with a stunning finish and the strings look like those of a harp of an angel.

Liam fights back his grin as he reaches the guitar out and hands it to Niall from over the back of the couch. Niall immediately latches onto it and cradles it in his arms.

“Hello, baby, what’s your name?” Niall coos to it. He runs his fingers over the strings and closes his eyes as he takes in the feint rasp of an echo that they let slip. Niall’s so happy he could burst and he hasn’t even played it yet. But when he does, _oh boy_ does it sound like magic.

Niall lets his hands take control and within seconds he’s plucking out the sweetest melody Liam’s ever heard, and as Niall sways back and forth in his spot and plays his soul out, Liam becomes speechless. He’s never heard something so honest or delicate or overwhelming with harmony. Niall’s timing’s impeccable and Liam can’t understand how someone could allow someone who _lives_ for the strings to sell his own guitar as a last resort before still becoming homeless.

Had Niall’s friends not noticed?

Those same ones who’d left him stranded, at the club?

Is the one person Niall’s trying to protect the only one who’d definitely find out?

Liam can’t get his head around it.

Niall has _this much_ talent and heart and feeling for his music yet he even gave that up for Harry?

 

Liam has to clench his fists and excuse himself to pop out to the shop before he hears another heart shattering note and bursts into tears.

 

 

When Liam comes back he’s got his head back together. Slightly less when he comes in through the door to hear Niall _still_ playing, but still. This time Liam takes a seat on the couch across from Niall and allows himself to smile at the beautiful blonde bombshell sitting in his apartment. He doesn’t know how long this charade with Harry will last and he definitely doesn’t know how long Niall will let it but it doesn’t matter.

When Liam followed Niall to that train station and saw his world start to fall apart just like it’d done that night at the club all over again, he couldn’t help himself.

Niall must be protected at all costs.

That smile on Niall’s face must be protected at _all costs_.

 

Niall realises Liam’s staring yet not eye fucking him and tries to say, well, anything.

“...I uh... my-my old guitar... was the same colour as this.” Niall mumbles. He doesn’t look up from the strings as he plays and Liam’s grateful for it. “It had a little picture of a pint carved into the side of it. Harry got smashed one night back when we lived together and didn’t even remember doing it when he sobered up.”

Liam wants to laugh but his giggling will disrupt the beautiful music.

“Did you murder him?” Liam smirks. Niall laughs to himself and Liam gets all giddy for a moment. First time he’s made Niall laugh without Harry as a witness. So he _knows_ it’s real.

“Forced him to do the dishes for two months.” Niall scoffs. “Went too easy on him, as always.”

“So what? Should’ve given him three months?” Liam laughs.

“A _year_.” Niall stresses. “At _least_.”

“You’re reall-“

Louis bursts in through the front door and kind of kills the mood.

“Niall! Niall! Niall! And the other two! Are you here?!” Louis screeches.

“For _fucks sake_.” Liam growls under his breath. The cute guy who can turn anyone into a bag of giggles, let alone Niall who already laughs at everything under the bloody sun, _and_ has had a magical night with him, involving kissing and talking and non unintentionally lacking consent. Brilliant.

Niall perks right up and twists instantly in his seat.

“Louis!” He beams. The blonde’s already smiling.

Liam wants to cry a little bit.

He doesn’t expect anything for everything he’s doing and he doesn’t want Niall to think he sees him as a charity case but is a smile when _Liam_ walks through the door too much to ask for?

Liam sighs and puts on his pouty big boy face.

“Niall!” Louis beams back. “Liam says you’re staying! Brilliant! Where’s the tall kid? I haven’t met him yet!”

Zayn trails in behind Louis and veers around him to get to a spot next to Liam on the couch. Zayn looks kind of upset too so he and Liam can at least now sulk together.

“...sorry mate.” Zayn mutters. Liam would say it’s alright but it kind of isn’t. He’d never spoken to Niall for such a long period of time before. Bloody fucking hell, Louis.

“What are you guys doing right now?!” Louis shouts. “Let’s do something! Who’s keen for scrabble?!”

Louis’ eyes land on the guitar in Niall’s lap and a huge lump forms in Liam’s throat. He doesn’t want anyone to hear Niall play like that aside from him. Especially Louis.

“Huh?! You play?!” Louis beams. Zayn clears his throat and Louis takes notice and lowers his voice a bit. “...you any good?” Louis corrects.

Niall gives a kind of bashful smile and shrugs to himself.

“Yeah, kind of.” Niall murmurs. He’s for some reason stupidly modest and Liam finds him positively adorable. He speaks up without thinking about it.

“Kind of?” Liam guffaws. “He’s bloody brilliant!”

Niall’s ears perk up and he gives Liam an incredulous look. Liam fights his urge to give one back.

“Really? Then play us something! Play us!” Louis grins.

 _Damn it,_ Liam thinks.

Niall blushes though and pulls the guitar off of his lap and sets it down on the ground, leaning against the couch instead.

“Sorry.” Niall mumbles. “I can only handle private concerts.”

Liam wants to fling himself at Niall and bury his face in his chest and kiss the top of his head to death. He doubts Niall doesn’t want to play for people that aren’t him but it doesn’t matter because whatever the reason, Niall won’t. Liam suppresses all this though and instead allows a small smug smile to show itself instead. Zayn rolls his eyes at all of them.

“It’s Friday night, already eight, and we’re all sober. How ridiculous.” Zayn scoffs. “Liam, get the vodka, Louis, neither we or Liam even own Scrabble, and Niall, go put that guitar away and find us a deck of cards, will ya?”

Niall doesn’t know where Liam keeps his cards but he leaps to his feet and scurries off down the hall regardless, guitar in hand. After putting the beautiful creature back, Niall finds himself stumbling aimlessly down the hallway and peeking in through any and every door in an attempt to figure out where the cards are at. (He knew the guitar belonged in Liam’s home-officey-place and squinted his eyes when he went in to find where to put it back so that he didn’t see anything else beautiful that’d also make his heart ache).

Niall eventually decides Liam’s officey-study-ey looking place is probably the best bet and forces himself to go back in and have a proper look. Sure enough his eyes fly straight to a bookshelf behind a desk against the wall and he hurries over to it. He doesn’t want to turn around and look at all of Liam’s other wonderful instruments. He’ll get depressed if he does that.

Right, Niall has to find the cards. He scans the first few shelves and finds things that _hint_ the cards should be among them, but he can’t see the thing he actually wants. Hints like a box of pencils and score cards from what he’s guessing is Cluedo, a Monopoly shoe on top of one of the books, and when he finally gets to it, two full shelves stacked with board games behind closed doors at the very top. Niall’s found the cards. They’re sitting on top of what seems like Twister and Niall isn’t sure how he feels about Liam owning that.

If they end up getting drunk and playing that tonight and Liam finds out how flexible Niall can actually get, he’ll never walk again, he’s certain of that.

Oh god, he’s going to be getting drunk.

With Liam, Zayn, and Louis.

Obviously Louis and Zayn do stuff together but do they do it with Liam too?

Is Niall about to get involved with _three_ guys on a leather couch?

Niall shakes his head of it and reaches for the deck. He fails. The shelf’s slightly too high and no matter how he stretches, his fingertips just won’t reach. He takes a step back to get ready for a jump but Liam’s kind of suddenly there instead. Niall steps back right into him and practically leaps out of his skin at the contact. Liam’s already got an arm up and is reaching over Niall for the deck. The bastard notices Niall jump and actually chuckles.

“Oh? Did I scare you?” Liam smirks. Liam’s looking up at the shelf but his breath’s still hot on Niall’s ear and Niall’s straight away flushing scarlet.

Is Liam hitting on him? Did he lock the door behind him when he came in so that he and Niall can have a quick moment to do it?

Liam grabs the cards and flattens his feet back on the carpet. His arm’s slowly retracting but he hasn’t taken a step back so he and Niall are still too close for comfort. Niall swallows and twists to get a look at Liam’s face. The suspense is killing him. He just wants to know when he’s going to be needed.

Then their eyes lock and Liam suddenly freezes. Niall freezes as a result. His heart’s pounding so hard that he thinks it’s about to burst.

Is Liam going to kiss him?

That’s an _“I want to kiss you”_ look, isn’t it?

Niall closes his eyes and holds his breath.

...

...

Nothing.

 

Huh?

 

Niall peeks an eye open and, well, Liam’s no longer there. He’s not even in the room, in fact. The door’s wide open and Liam’s absent and _shit_ Niall feels like _such_ an idiot.

Liam has a girlfriend to begin with.

He’s probably never kissed Niall for that very reason.

He just wants sex, as if he’d kiss Niall when he doesn’t need anything to get that.

Niall goes bright red and clenches his fists.

 

He feels _so_ stupid.


	9. Bait

When Niall finally makes it back to the living room, Zayn’s doing a body shot off of Louis, and Liam’s on the phone and sitting kind of the most arrogantly Niall’s ever seen a guy sit. He’s leant back against the couch with his phone to his ear and his legs spread right out and his head slouched and Niall can’t help but groan because there’s something so _attractive_ about it. Liam just needs to be wearing a skimpy singlet and a snapback and Niall would fling himself at him then and there. (He likes that type, on Liam at least.)

Niall doesn’t though.

Liam’s got a menu for the pizza place in his lap and denying himself of pizza just to give Liam sex doesn’t seem worth it.

Niall takes a seat on the opposing sofa from the other three instead and tries to fix his hair a bit.

Louis and Zayn take notice and Zayn crawls off of Louis and Louis rolls his shirt back down a bit. He leaves his hip bones still in view though. He can’t deny Niall sight of that. Zayn notices and pulls it all the way down regardless.

For Liam’s sake, of course.

“Niall? What pizza do you want? We’ll get one each?” Liam cuts in. Niall blinks.

They get one each?

Niall loves hanging out with these guys.

“Uh-Umm...” Niall stutters. “Barbecue meat lovers?”

“Why is that a question?” Louis interjects. “We already know you love meat in your mouth.”

Liam forgets what he’s doing and throws the phone at Louis. It hits Louis square in the cheek. Louis hisses at the impact.

“Hey! The fuck was that for?!” Louis screeches. “How mean!”

“You’re the one who’s mean! Apologise to Niall! How disgusting!” Liam screeches back. Zayn picks up the phone and takes it into the kitchen to finish making the order. Niall’s at a loss.

“I didn’t mean it offensively! Niall knows that! Right, Niall?!”

“Ah...” Niall chokes. Even though he didn’t take it offensively and Liam’s outburst was completely unnecessary, Niall’s speechless. No one’s ever stood up for him about something like that. Not even Harry. Granted it’s because no one called Niall a slut because when he was with Harry, he wasn’t, but still. Niall doesn’t know what to say. And of _all the things_ to choke out, he ends up with; “I don’t take offense to it... I know I get around a lot.” He shrugs.

Liam and Louis’ faces go blank. They hadn’t been expecting a serious answer. Then Niall realises they hadn’t actually mentioned his number, just that he seems to be up for anything. Niall goes scarlet.

“Ah! He noticed!” Louis screeches. “Liam, he’s adorable! Can we keep him?!”

Liam rolls his eyes and shrugs. He’s given up. He’ll never be fast paced enough to keep up with Louis.

“Agh! You’re so cold! I’m going to sit with Niall then!”

Louis goes to get up but Liam grabs his wrist and drags him back down. Liam ends up being the one getting up instead. He even moves around the coffee table and takes a seat next to Niall, too. Louis smirks. Liam curses himself for falling into Louis’ now obvious trap.

“Much better.” Louis muses. “You two stay over there, get nice and cosy.”

Niall can’t help but think he’s missing something. Or a hundred things.

Liam groans.

Zayn comes back in and puts the phone back. Maybe even smiles a bit at the fact that Niall’s now fenced off from Louis by Liam and that he’s got a whole couch for Louis and himself. Zayn takes a seat. Niall notices Zayn has a giant cup in hand. Niall shrieks.

“Kings?!” Niall snaps. “No! No way! No way in hell!”

Liam, Zayn and Louis all give him a startled look. Louis smirks to himself.

“...ho...?” Louis sings. “Is there a story behind that sudden outburst?”

Niall realises he’s just said that out loud and kind of panics. He hates that game for life now but with a very personal, pointless reason. It’d just caused him so much trouble a while back. Louis ignores Niall’s expression though and leans closer.

“Spill.” Louis demands. He’s got a glint in his eye and the world’s highest expectations and fuck, Niall’s not getting out of this. Niall takes a moment to wonder why things are so confusingly and vaguely fast paced with Louis tonight. He doesn’t get it. Niall’s starting to realise that if he ever perused Louis, he’d always be run out. Niall begins transitioning Louis into his friend zone, or at least the zone of guys he doesn’t want to date. Niall’s guard’s always a bit too high up.

Right, his inescapable reason for Louis.

“...we played it in high school and someone made the rule that if you swear, you have to kiss the person on your left.” Niall mutters. “Until then, Harry’d been the only guy I’d ever kissed, and he got _majorly_ upset.”

Niall’s already got his head in his hands.

“...worst two weeks of my life.” He grumbles.

Louis bursts into a laughing fit.

“ _That’s_ your reason?!” Louis screeches. “Harry got upset?! How old were you for that to even happen, to begin with?!”

Niall tries not to blush.

“...we were in year nine, so... fourteen?” Niall manages. Liam grips the armrest of the couch.

Over ten years..?

Niall and Harry have history for over ten years..?

 _Shit_.

“Mate, I think it’s time you let that one go.” Louis laughs. “And besides, you’re not dating anyone here, so there’s no problem, yeah?”

That is true.

The only way this game could turn bad for Niall is if Liam get’s pissed that he kisses other guys before Liam gets his chance to give him a proper dicking. If Liam would even get pissed at that, to begin with. And even if Liam does get pissed, Niall gets a _really_ good shag so yeah, what the hell is his problem?

“...Yeah.” Niall mumbles. “...never mind, no problem.”

Louis claps his hands together.

“Brilliant!” He cheers.

Liam wants to crawl into a hole and take Niall with him. They’ve never had rules like that. Now Niall’s given Louis ideas and Liam doesn’t want them to come to pass. So even though Harry’s not there, Liam’s sighs and slings his arm around Niall’s shoulders because he can’t help it.

Zayn picks up a pack of beer from somewhere near his feet and sets it on the table. Louis breaks it open and starts handing bottles out while Zayn puts the cup in the centre of the table and slides the cards into a circle around it. Niall gulps. He’s got no idea what kind of rules these guys will come up with or what kind of shenanigans they get up to. He’s going in blind.

 

A few hours and four six packs later, the four of them are absolutely trashed. Niall even more so than the others. He’d lost the game all three times and has about nine bottles in him and he’s just insanely, stupidly drunk. Turns out he didn’t even have to worry about the rules. Louis made up stupid things like “you can’t point at anyone” and “no crossing your legs” and then there’d been Zayn’s equally pointless “no burping” and Niall’s personal kryptonite “no asking questions”. Every time Niall got distracted and asked who’s turn it was he had to drink and let’s face it, that meant every turn Niall had to drink.

Right, back to the present, Zayn and Niall are dancing on Liam’s coffee table in matching mesh singlets from an old costume that Liam refuses to tell the story about. Louis’ laughing his head off and clapping his hands together on the couch as he watches. Zayn and Niall currently have Cherry Pie playing through Liam’s speakers and are making absolute sluts of themselves. Liam’s never seen so many hip swivels in all his years. He kind of wishes he could take one of those moving pictures like in Harry Potter and capture the moment forever. But he also doesn’t. Because Zayn’s up there too and in Liam’s honest opinion; ew, Zayn.

Eventually the song finishes and Niall and Zayn collapse dramatically into their respective couches. Niall kind of has his head in Liam’s lap as he lays giggling on his back and Liam’s trying not to shriek with delight. He’d still been pissed at Zayn and Louis up until this moment but now suddenly it’s all worth it. Niall laughs some more and runs a hand through his hair.

“Christ...” He slurs. “Are all underwear models this fun..?”

Liam and Louis’ faces go blank. Zayn just laughs back and Niall does the same. Louis can’t help himself.

“An _underwear_ model?! Is _that_ what he told you?!” Louis shrieks. Niall frowns to himself but still keeps laughing. He’s too smashed to really pay attention, honestly.

“Yeah? Why? Isn’t he?” Niall laughs.

Liam stifles a snort and Zayn throws a cushion at him to shut him up. Niall starts to slightly sober up.

“Model? Yeah! But he models _sunglasses_!” Louis cackles. “Underwear?! Did you actually fall for that?!”

Niall’s still laughing, now at his own stupidity. And because he’s very, very drunk. The room’s spinning and only half the boys’ words are reaching him and he’s grateful for it. If he wasn’t drunk then he’d be majorly embarrassed considering how Zayn had laughed at his reaction the first time Niall had ‘found out’ to begin with. Zayn makes a wailing sound and beats Louis with his other cushion.

“I am too!” Zayn cries. “Don’t say I’m not!”

“You filled in for Zach _once_ because he got sick on shoot!” Louis gasps back. He’s in absolute stitches at this. “Who the hell would let you model underwear with all those tatts?! Ridiculous!!”

Niall groans and buries his face into Liam’s stomach. Liam isn’t sure if Niall’s blushing or he’s just flushed from the beer but he doesn’t really care. Niall’s head’s at a very delicate place and Liam needs all his bloody strength. Louis notices and makes it worse.

“Hey Niall! Enjoying it down there?” Louis calls. Liam would hit Louis if moving didn’t make his dick a flight risk. Liam gives Louis an eye roll filled with killer intent instead. Niall groans and nuzzles his face into Liam’s abs a bit further.

“Mmm... yeah... his abs are brilliant...” Niall breathes. He’s all warm and comfy on Liam’s lap and ready for sleep. His over eleven standard drinks may also be contributing to that. Louis needs a moment to gather his thoughts back because he hadn’t been expecting such an answer. Zayn interjects them all after glancing at his watch and leaping to his feet.

“What?! Half four already?! Shit! I have work at eight!” He all but yelps. Louis starts cackling but Zayn’s already dragging him to his feet. They only started playing Kings a few hours ago and he doesn’t get why almost nine hours are suddenly up. “Shit! We’ll see you guys later, yeah? Let’s do this again, yeah Niall?”

Niall lets out an inaudible moan into Liam’s stomach. Liam’s at his limit.

“Nooooo!” Louis protests. “I wanna stay! Why do we both have to go~?!”

“Come on! You said you’d drop me in, remember? Shit! We’ve gotta sober up!” Zayn argues. Before Liam and Niall can even manage a proper goodbye or an explanation that whatever they try won’t work, Zayn and Louis are already out of the apartment. Niall doesn’t move. Liam’s at a loss. Fleeing seems best though, right?

“Niall? Can you hop up? I gotta use the loo.” Liam mumbles. Niall moans and nuzzles closer. Impending doom with Harry aside, life is kind of perfect here. And Liam is _so_ comfortable.

“...liar.” Niall mumbles. “You just wanna get to your room first and take up the whole bed.”

Liam raises an eyebrow at that.

“You calling me a bed hog?” Liam muses. Niall shakes his head. Too dangerous.

“Calling you an opportunist.” Niall smiles. Liam wants to retort but he can’t argue with that. Instead he leaps up off the couch whilst still somehow not knocking Niall to the ground and makes a run for the bedroom. Niall’s drunkenly giggling and stumbling behind him in an instant. “See? Traitor!!” He shouts.

By the time Niall reaches the door in a wide second place, Liam’s already gotten his shirt off and face planted the mattress. Niall takes a long drunken moment to let his eyes wash over Liam’s extravagant back. He wonders a hundred things. Most of them consist of “why haven’t you tried to shag me yet?”. Niall kind of wants to ask but if he gets an answer in his current state, he probably won’t remember it. And he doubts Liam’s going to make a move tonight considering how full blown gone the two of them are. Especially Niall.

Liam’s mid roll over onto his back when Niall decides it’s a good time to fling himself onto the bed as well. Liam just manages to catch him before he gives the both of them a concussion. Now suddenly Niall’s got Liam’s hands under his arms and holding his chest as Liam holds his body up above his and Niall doesn’t know what to do. Like Liam caught him from a position like that? All seventy five kilos? Niall fights back a groan as he remains held up there and watches Liam’s muscles flex.

“Ah... th-thanks...” Niall chokes. Liam bites his lip then smiles up at him.

“You need to sober up before you go to sleep.” Liam murmurs. “Unless you want the worst hangover of your life when you wake up.”

Niall pretends to think then gives Liam a sleepy nod. He doesn’t care about hangovers in his current state but knows Liam’s really smart, so. Liam sighs and drops Niall down onto his side of the bed. Niall kind of hopes Liam will climb on board but was also kind of expecting it when he didn’t. Instead Liam got up and came back after a few moments with two glasses of water. He hands Niall one whilst skulling the other. Niall frowns at his cup.

“Water isn’t fun.” He sulks. Liam chuckles.

“Drink it, or else.” Liam smirks. Niall frowns harder.

“But Liaaaaammm..!” Niall sulks. He even looks up at Liam with big puppy dog eyes and pouts his bottom lip. Liam wishes Niall would make that face more often. Wait, no he doesn’t. Shit.

“Drink it.” Liam breathes. “Then we’re watching a film.”

“A film?” Niall scoffs. “At five in the morning?”

“What? You got a better idea?” Liam asks. Niall pretends to think. Then starts to sway a bit. Liam almost tries to catch him but he manages to steady himself.

“Mmm... nope.” Niall grins. Liam can’t help but laugh. Then he seems to have an idea. Niall goes back to frowning as Liam darts out of the room again. When Liam comes charging back in with his guitar in hand, a big stupid grin on his face, and a lot more expectation than he should have for someone as drunk as Niall, his smile drops.

Niall’s fallen asleep on his side of the bed, with his hands cuddling Liam’s pillow and the most adorable sleeping expression Liam’s ever seen. Liam sighs and sets the guitar down as he runs his fingers through his hair. Liam sighs again and goes to brush his teeth in his stumbling slump. When he gets back Niall’s frowning into his pillow and squeezing extra tight.

Liam can’t help but climb in next to him and guide him close by putting his arm around him. Niall kind of ditches the pillow and cuddles right up to Liam’s chest instead. He tries to fist a hand around Liam’s shirt as his head turns Liam’s pec into a pillow but Liam’s not wearing a shirt to begin with. Niall scoots even closer instead and nuzzles his face into the crook of Liam’s neck. Liam’s heart starts skipping entire bars at once as he tightens his grip.

How on Earth could Harry leave you? Liam thinks. He has no idea why Harry and Niall are no longer together and from what he’s seen, he hasn’t seen any reason at all.

Niall spends the night cuddled right up to Liam in absolute warm, heavenly bliss.

Liam spends the night running his fingers through Niall’s hair and worrying that the only thing he’s doing is giving Harry and Niall the chance to get back together.

 

 

The next morning Niall’s in a state next to death.

His head’s _pounding_ and he’s so thirsty he could just shrivel up and never return and his ears are ringing so much that he has no bloody chance of sleeping the rest of this off.

Another reason he’s close to death is he’d dreamt Harry had checked in on him and Liam when he’d gotten home last night and seen them all cute and cuddly in bed. But he’d just dreamt that so he needs to cheer himself up.

And get himself out of his current paradox of a situation.

Today’s dilemma is that he’s currently cuddled up to Liam’s chest in Liam’s bed with a shirtless Liam and he doesn’t know how to pull back. Niall’s conflicted. On one hand Niall shouldn’t be cuddling Liam at all and he really wants to sit up and take off this damn mesh singlet before anyone sees him in it and he’s freaking out because it’s only a matter of time before Liam wakes up and he really, _really_ needs to go get a drink. Or twenty. On the other hand Liam’s warm and so _stupidly_ fit and unlike everyone else on the entire planet, cuddling warm people is actually Niall’s hangover cure.

Normal people feel grumpy and irritable at the feeling of being cuddled or cuddling when they feel like they’re suffering from a mortal wound but Niall can’t heal without it. He needs to stay cuddled up to Liam for at least another hour or two before he can even attempt to get up.

Niall doesn’t know what to do.

The only thing he can do is cuddle closer to Liam and see how it works out. If Liam gets mad and demands Niall blows him in compensation then Niall’s honestly fine with that. Okay he has no idea how he’d even manage to fit Liam in his mouth but he’ll figure something out.

Niall stops and blinks for a moment and wonders that maybe he does have a slight problem if sex is the only end result to everything he thinks about.

Niall shakes his head of his thoughts and decides to check Liam out as he lays there instead. He’d already ascertained that Liam was made by the gods and that he’s definitely, _definitely_ someone Niall would be proud to be seen with, but, Niall wants a reminder. Niall wants a reminder that Liam’s arms are more firm and prominent than anything he’s ever seen. Niall wants a reminder that Liam’s chest looks more appetising than his favourite burger at his favourite restaurant. Niall wants a reminder that his stubble was probably put there by the devil himself to entice people to sin and wind up in the underworld.

Niall realises shit, muscles are his type.

Liam moans in his sleep and rolls his head to face Niall a bit. Then tightens his arm around his waist and pulls him in a bit.

Niall realises shit, Liam in general is kind of his perfect type.

Harry was so on point.

Niall kind of instantly bails and bolts to the kitchen to get a glass of water and a sandwich.

Niall’s just cutting his meal into triangles and looking for aspirin when Harry stumbles in. Harry stops in the door way and covers his mouth with his hand as he looks Niall over. Harry actually had walked in on Niall and Liam last night, but he’ll never let Niall know that. He’s kind of really hurt about it and kind of in denial that Niall’s moving on in his life. Right, all that aside though it doesn’t stop Harry from folding his arms and leaning against the doorway and covering his mouth even tighter to hold himself together. Niall’s body’s all teasingly exposed and dressed really, _really_ sluttily in that mesh shirt and Harry needs some good five metres distance.

Niall notices and bites his lip. He knows Harry’s “wanna throw you on the table and shag you til it hurts” face. Niall thinks that maybe if the situation were different, he’d let him. Niall also thinks maybe becoming a stripper is a better way to spend his nights once this is finished. If he can work mesh then pulling at least fifty quid a night at a dodgy club for breakfast shouldn’t be out of his limits.

Niall then realises this is probably the first time in forever that he’s thinking about a career over shagging or getting back together with Harry.

That kind of terrifies Niall a lot.

 

The next week kind of escalates really, really fast. Louis and Zayn came over the day after the great hangover of June and kind of pounced on Harry. They flashed him a thousand smiles and a hundred arm grazes and practically tried to lure him back to their apartment with a shirtless photo of Zayn on Louis’ phone. Niall feels slightly offended that they’ve moved on from him so fast. At the same time he’s also on edge that someone as cute (meaning cuter than him) as Louis is trying to sink his teeth into Harry. At the same time Niall’s also grateful for the idea that Harry’s maybe not so attached and unwilling to accept that Niall’s starting to _slightly_ move on.

Sure if the situation were different and everything would be alright then Niall would take him back in a heartbeat and never let go but now at least, when Harry gives him that adorable grin back, Niall’s heart doesn’t feel like it wants to shatter. That’s a big step for Niall, at least.

The day after that Louis and Zayn had taken Harry out for afternoon drinks and when Harry had came back all smiley and giggly, Niall wanted to shoot himself.

He has no rights over Harry and no right to want them but that doesn’t mean it isn’t stupidly painful to watch all of it.

Then on Thursday Zayn and Louis come over for dinner and do their worst.

The entire meal Louis was shooting giggly grins at Harry and Harry was trying and failing not to shoot them back and Niall’s near tears by the time he makes a break for the kitchen and starts doing the dishes. Zayn and Liam had started mumbling about something Liam was working on and went into his office to check it out, and thus leaving Harry alone with the all powerful Louis.

Niall’s finally gotten to the cutlery when he starts hearing something dangerous:

“So um...have you only ever been with Niall... or anyone else?” Louis murmurs. Niall’s one hundred percent sure he wouldn’t have heard that if he were standing anywhere else but he’s just now discovered this apartment has an acoustical sweet spot. He can hear everything in the living room from his spot perfectly. He makes a side note to be wary of that later. Right, back to the now bastard known as Louis.

“Wh-“ Harry starts and Niall doesn’t look, but he _knows_ Harry’s just glanced over his shoulder to see if Niall’s within earshot. Harry falls silent for a bit. Niall’s scrubbing that fork with all his might. “...just Ni.” Harry murmurs.

Niall feels his heart clench.

 _Painfully_ clench.

Niall’s number’s now in at least the fifties and yet he’s still Harry’s first and only. He wants to pull the knife he just washed out of the tray and impale himself.

“Really..? Is the variety at uni _that_ bad?” Louis pushes. Harry shrugs.

“There was one guy but... we were too drunk so, we called it off...” Harry mumbles. Niall actually pumps his fist in celebration to himself. He maybe bangs his hand on a rather painful saucepan edge currently soaking at the sink bottom. He grabs at it with his other hand and cusses under his breath.

“Hmm... sounds like you need to get out there.” Louis muses. “And by out there I mean in there. And by in there I mean into a guy, or a mouth or a hand or _something_ at least.”

Harry chokes on his drink.

“Forward, aren’t you?” He gasps. Louis shuffles closer. Niall can’t see but he’s positive Louis’ doing something disgusting like grabbing Harry’s thigh or his bicep or his dick and he’s so mad he could scream.

“Look, if you’re not interested it’s fine, but...” Louis murmurs. “Zayn and I, or at least just me... we’d be happy to take you for a spin if you’re up for it...”

Niall knows Harry’s biting his lip. He bites his own as a grimace.

“What- just...” Harry mumbles. “...the _two_ of you..? Just like that..?”

Louis shuffles even closer.

“...you could ask Niall to join if you’re nervous..?” Louis offers. This time Niall stabs himself with a fork. “Ah... but then there’s Liam to think about an-“

“Alright.” Harry interjects. “Just... just the three of us...”

Niall braces himself against the counter to steady himself. Louis hums to himself to celebrate.

“Brilliant.” Louis grins. “Come to ours Friday at eight?”

Niall sets the last dish down and goes to the bathroom before it’s too late.


	10. Move On

The rest of the week is more of a hell on Earth than Niall’s first week on the streets. Instead of fearing for his future and his well being and his career and everything else that fell apart, this week Niall has to endure Harry. The idea that Harry’s going to be shagging someone else. The idea that Harry’s going to be kissing someone else. The idea that Harry’s going to be panting and groaning and letting someone else see him with his hair covering his face and his mouth fallen slack.

Niall’s about to shoot himself.

Every time he even _hears_ Harry his entire world starts shaking and throbbing apart. He has no idea how to survive this. When Friday night comes he’ll have to sit on the couch and _live_ and _breathe_ while knowing the fact that not less than thirty metres away, Harry’s screwing someone else.

What is he going to do? Drink some tea? Have a nap? Curl into a ball in Liam’s closet and not resurface until the end of winter?

He’s fucking tearing up.

 

Liam decides to act.

Liam doesn’t know what’s worse; Niall being in pain or Niall thinking about Harry and nothing else. He can’t take it. He’s been trying for the past two weeks not to seem like a sugar daddy but he’s reached his limit. Sure, he and Niall haven’t done it and Niall hasn’t asked for anything at all and _maybe_ this won’t screw that non-image up, but he can’t take it.

Liam comes home from work on late night shopping night and grabs Niall by the hand, yanks him off the couch, drags him to the door, wraps him in a scarf, and hauls him out.

Niall’s a stumbling and fumbling and just generally confused mess. He eventually gains his balance as Liam powers them down the hallway and opens his mouth to speak but Liam’s beating him to it:

“We’re going shopping!” Liam announces. They’re halfway to the stairs and Niall wants to dig his heels in but he thinks he shouldn’t. But Liam has to know, right?

“Liam- I don’t have any money for shopping, you know tha-“

“I’m buying!” Liam interrupts. “You can’t get away with my clothes any longer! Harry’s getting suspicious!”

Niall’s been wearing a combination of his four old tees, a pair of jeans, and his sweat pants for the past week. Occasionally Liam’s offered him to go into his closet and pick out anything he thinks will fit, but, Liam’s three sizes bigger than Niall with all that buff and when Niall wears his stuff it’s pretty damn obvious who’s it actually is.

“Liam I can’t ask you to do tha-“

“You’re not asking! And I’m not offering! We’re going!” Liam insists. If Liam can get Niall to himself and maybe get him to smile and not think of Harry for even a minute, it’ll all be worth it.

Niall goes to open his mouth again but this time he stops himself. Liam’s still holding his hand and leading him away from that current spiralling pit of sadness of an apartment and he kind of needs it. Money wise anyway, Niall can just leave all the stuff Liam’s bought him with Liam when he eventually gets kicked out, regardless. Liam can give it all to Zayn and Louis. It’s not like the money’s going to waste on him to begin with. And hell, maybe Liam wants to dress him up and take him somewhere nice then shag him in the backseat of his car for a good four hours. That seems like something Liam would get a kick out of.

After all it’s been almost _two weeks_ and he and Liam still haven’t done it.

Niall’s maybe twitching just a bit from the withdrawal. Maybe getting slightly frustrated because the only times he can get off now are in the shower and when Liam and Harry are both out of the flat. Which is actually quite a lot but when he knows what he could be getting from Liam at any moment, his hand just doesn’t cut it.

Before Niall snaps out of it he’s lost his chance to refuse already. He’s somehow in the front seat of Liam’s truck and they’re currently pulling out of the car park. Niall sighs to himself. He’s now terrified that if he leaves Harry alone, he’ll be lured in prematurely by Zayn and Louis. Niall sighs again and rests his head against the glass.

Why can’t this hell be over already?

 

Strangely, soon it’s six hours later though and Niall’s completely forgotten about Harry.

He’s actually had the time of his life shopping with Liam. They went to a hundred different stores and got Chinese and saw a film and Liam won him a duck holding a guitar on the skill tester and even though as they sit outside the store with a hundred bags in each hand, eating ice cream as they watch the miserable excuse of a sunset, Niall finds himself thinking that if this were a date, he’d already be doing Liam in the back seat of his Jeep. Niall might have a slight fantasy of wanting to be screwed in the Jeep purely because he knows it’s expensive, but never mind that.

Niall knows this isn’t a date because he’s probably just racked up a year’s worth of bondage to his tab. And maybe that’s alright.

Niall hasn’t been pampered in months or hell, even years. And Liam is _such_ good company.

When they were in the store looking for underwear Liam disappeared then jumped out at Niall from nowhere wearing this pointed bra that looked like some kind of eighties space aged film wear. Niall screamed then laughed so loud they were almost removed from the entire complex all together.

Before they got ice cream Liam dragged Niall into a pet store and they fed the rabbits for twenty minutes. Liam actually asked if Niall wanted one and started pulling out his wallet and Niall had to hit him for being so ridiculous. When Liam laughed and giggled back at him with his bunched cheeks and his beautiful heart warming laughter, Niall had to pinch himself when he found himself giving Liam a look of adoration back.

Every time Niall catches himself smiling at Liam, he curses to himself about how much Harry had been right. Niall hates that when it comes to him, Harry’s always right.

 

When Niall and Liam get back, Harry’s waiting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. Harry kind of feels his heart break when he twists in his seat to find Niall and Liam lost in a world of some stupid inside joke about pointy chests that he has no chance in hell to ever reach. Instead of sulking though he decides to get to his feet and ask if Niall brought him anything back. He almost laughs a sigh of relief when Niall hands him a little Chinese take away pack. He wasn’t forgotten one hundred percent, at least.

 

That night when they go to bed, Niall can’t fall asleep. Liam’s hauled him out of his slump and he’s seeing the world in colour again and honestly, he needs to be cuddled and warmed back to complete health. But Liam’s already in bed and turned away on his side and just snuggling closer and up under his arm and into his chest would be weird, right?

Liam would see it as a come on, right?

And the last time Niall tried that he was pushed off straight out. Not that this time would be a come on, but still.

Anyway, Niall can’t sleep.

Niall thinks maybe pillow talk will instead give him his fix.

“...Liam?” Niall murmurs. Liam almost jerks at the sound of his voice, but he resists it. “You awake?”

“Mmm?” Liam answers and, well, shit. Niall hadn’t gotten this far ahead. He figures something honest can’t be bad though, right?

“...for today, thanks.” Niall murmurs. “You got me out of a bad place, though I doubt you realised it.”

“You mental?” Liam muses. “You were so depressed even the lady down the hall noticed.”

“...didn’t know there was a lady down the hall.” Niall grumbles. Liam laughs and rolls onto his back. Looking directly at Niall’s a bit too dangerous.

“You’re welcome.” Liam breathes. “But it’s not like I didn’t get any benefits.”

“Benefits?” Niall frowns. Ah, here it is. Maybe here’s where he’ll lead into the sex agreement.

“Mmm, got ice cream, Chinese food, saw a robot on a screen learn how to fist bump.” He laughs. Niall laughs back just remembering it and covers his mouth to muffle it. Liam sneaks a look and almost groans at how cute he is. Then yawns and rolls his head to stare safely back at the ceiling.

“...had a good night.” Niall whispers. It’s more of a gorgeous murmur to Liam though. Niall’s accent’s become a bit stronger over the past few sentences and it’s a sound Liam’s never getting over.

Niall yawns too and folds his hands behind his head, ready for another attempt at sleep. He still wants to cuddle but he _is_ close enough to catch some of Liam’s lingering heat. The room falls silent for a few minutes.

“...night.” Liam breathes. Niall bites his lip then rolls over and curls his body to claim some of the covers. He’s smiling like an idiot with thoughts of fluffy bunnies and pointed boobs and hairy babies. Until now, Niall kind of forgot that just scraping along and keeping himself safe wasn’t all there was to being alive.

“...Night, Liam.” Niall murmurs.

 

 

Friday’s kind of a turning point for all of them. Niall sits on the couch in the living room, waiting, fidgeting, _praying_ that Harry won’t go. That he won’t leave. That he won’t learn of a world outside of Niall’s thighs, but he doesn’t. When it gets to eight Harry emerges from his room in his tightest pair of black jeans and his best-fitting-muscle-enhancing t-shirt.

It’s the outfit he was wearing when he met Niall at the train station.

The outfit he wore to make sure he looked good when he knocked on the door to their flat and tried to hopefully win a bit of Niall back.

The outfit that says “I’m putting myself out there, come and take it.”

Niall wants to take Zayn and Louis and fling them into the sun instead.

Harry notices Niall’s there on the couch and freezes. Niall guesses he’s feeling a bit more nervous than he lets on, judging by the way he’s fiddling with the hem of his shirt and has his boots on the wrong feet. Niall can’t help but laugh at how adorable it is.

“Babe, your feet.” Niall giggles. Harry blinks a few times then looks down and turns scarlet. Niall laughs himself into a fit as Harry struggles to fix it. Half genuine, half out of nerves. Once Harry’s got himself back on track he glances up at Niall and gives him this look as if this is it; the moment of death between them, and he can’t go through with it.

“...did you wanna come too?” Harry mumbles. He’s still blushing like an idiot and now Niall’s blushing like an idiot and he has no idea how to answer.

Does Harry want him there to hold them off? Or to help him go through with it? Will he even be capable of letting Harry see him let go like he had last time he was with Zayn and Louis? Will he even be able to take it when he sees Harry close his eyes and open his mouth to take in Louis?

Niall feels his heart numb itself over.

It doesn’t matter what Harry wants.

If Harry gets closer to Niall again Niall will actually break into a thousand pieces this time when he leaves and never recover.

And if Harry gets closer he _will_ find out and Niall can’t let that ever, _ever_ happen.

Niall fakes a tired smile and brings his feet up onto the couch, wraps his arms around his legs, and rests his chin on his knees.

“Nah, I’m exhausted mate...” Niall breathes. It feels particularly cruel to use the word mate when even though Harry doesn’t know that Niall knows what he’s asking, but Niall needs it because otherwise Harry will hear the shake in his voice if he calls him babe.

A light in Harry’s eyes as he looks at Niall seems to vanish. Niall doesn’t know if it’ll ever come back.

And it fucking _hurts_.

Harry manages a sigh of sympathy and a nervous lip bite and a nod, then he’s out of the apartment and pulling the door shut and Niall’s planning on venturing into East end with an aim of getting shot.

Niall fights it his hardest but ends up punching a cushion ‘til he thinks he’s sprained his wrist regardless. He needs to be held down and restrained and yet able to tear apart a phone book at the same time and he needs to scream and scream and _scream_ an-

Liam’s suddenly climbing onto the couch with him. He cuddles him up from behind and gives him a bicep for a pillow and puts an arm around his waist to make sure he feels safe and not like he’s going to fall off the couch with the two of them squished together like that and Niall wants to break down.

Liam wants to do it _now_?

Niall can’t fucking do it now.

He _can’t_ do it.

“Liam-“ Niall starts but Liam just tightens his grip with one arm and reaches for the remote with the other. He turns on the tele and makes himself comfy with Niall’s ass on his dick and Niall actually starts sitting up to try and push him off. Liam just tightens his grip and drags him back down again. “Liam, I can’t-!”

“Shut up and go to sleep.” Liam murmurs.

_Sleep?_

Liam wants him to _sleep?_

_Are you fucking-_

“You’ve got two choices. You can lie here alone and sulk and suffer yourself into a coma whilst Harry runs off with those two idiots, or you can stay here with _me_ and let me hold you through it.” Liam urges. “You’re both at that stage where one of you has to win the break up, right? So win it. Show him that you can get through this.”

Niall doesn’t know what to say so Liam keeps rambling.

“I mean come on, out of those two idiots and me, who’s really winning tonight, hey?”

Niall lets a snort slip and before he can haul it back, Liam’s already got his hands around his waist and his fingers digging themselves into his sides with power you wouldn’t believe. Niall yelps and laughs and tries his hardest to shove Liam off but Liam’s got him pegged. Niall isn’t released until he’s suffered a good three minutes of tickle torture and has tears streaming down his cheeks.

Liam’s entire existence is utterly ridiculous.

Niall finally manages to get a handle on himself and settles himself in against Liam for the night. He knows Liam’s not going to let him go anywhere and he does owe Liam a lot and if he can’t put out then this is the least he can do, right?

Niall grabs the remote and sets the T.V. to Star Wars then manages a sigh of relief once he’s settled. Relief that Liam’s not tickling him anymore, not the whole Harry situation. He’ll need a bit more time to get over that. Niall sighs again.

Suddenly the front door swings open and Harry’s dashing in and stumbling over his own feet. Then he sees Niall and Liam, spooning on the couch, alone, with him out of the picture, and runs straight into a wall as a result.

Niall goes to sit up but Liam tightens his grip and keeps him down instead.

“...ow.” Harry grumbles as he holds his forehead together and assures himself that the room is in fact, not spinning. Niall doesn’t know what to do. “Ah... sorry, just came to get my phone...” He manages. “Cause I left it here... in my room...” He takes another look at the two of them all comfy and now interrupted. “Right, bye...”

Harry flees off into his room to find his phone and Niall’s left shattered with utter disbelief.

Niall’s on a leather couch in a rich guy’s flat, being cuddled by said rich guy who he already knows Harry’s extremely aware of and jealous and he realises maybe, just maybe, to Harry at least, Niall’s actually winning this break up.

Sure Niall doesn’t actually live here and Liam’s a cheating bastard with a girlfriend who’s blackmailing Niall for sex, but, still.

Harry doesn’t know that.

Harry knows Niall’s moved out of their flat and into something better and that he’s with someone Harry’s already deemed better and, well, shit.

As long as Niall stays here with Liam until Harry leaves, he’s kind of won it.

Niall doesn’t care who wins but if someone does and he can manage to stay on this couch until Harry leaves and not fall apart, tomorrow he’ll be on the other side of this break up and finally able to escape from it.

Niall can move on.

He’s so damn hopeful at the idea of moving on.

 

Harry reappears, mumbles a quick goodbye to them, and disappears.

Once the door is shut, Niall doesn’t know what to do next. He’s pretty sure Harry won’t be coming back. He technically doesn’t need Liam now. He could get up with an excuse like he needs to pee and just not cuddle Liam when he gets back.

Niall doesn’t.

He stays and lets Liam cuddle him in closer because he still needs Liam for a little bit.

Niall realises Liam in general, at least until Harry leaves, he still needs for a little bit.


	11. Sick

It’s been a week since that Friday and Harry’s currently the last thing on Niall’s mind. The first thing on his mind?

Liam’s up to something.

He’s been coming home late from work or coming back on time then leaving again straight away and Niall _knows_ Liam’s scheming because he slipped up with his excuses and Niall _knows_ you can’t have a dentist check up twice in one week.

But Niall doesn’t know how to ask what’s up.

He doesn’t think he has the right to pry to begin with.

Liam could very well be arranging for Niall and Harry to be sold on the black market but even if that were the case, Niall still doesn’t think he has the right to ask.

 

Niall sighs and takes off his beanie and kicks off his shoes. He’s just gotten back from a seven hour shoot in some ridiculous alleyway and needs a beer _and_ a hot chocolate. And a blow job but he can’t be picky at this point. He has a warm flat to come back to with food and a roof and a super soft, comfy bed and _cable_ and he’s never complaining about anything ever again.

Niall’s greeted by Harry and Liam waiting for him in the kitchen. Harry instantly rushes over and hands him a mug with hot tea made just the way he likes it.

“Welcome back.” Harry grins. Niall takes a look at those dimples and feels his heart twist. Which is brilliant. Last week it would’ve given out and sent Niall into cardiac arrest. Niall glances at Liam and earns a smile from him too, yet nowhere near as wide.

“Welcome home.” Liam breathes. Niall knows Liam’s only saying that to help the charade with Harry but still, he can’t bring himself to say the right thing back. He takes a sip of his tea and smiles as he feels it’s warmth sink in and heat his soul up.

“...I’m back.” Niall answers. He can’t help but smile at how great things are momentarily being. “...thanks, guys.”

 

Niall’s good mood lasted about ten minutes. He thought he’d feel better after a nice, long hot shower, but once it was over he could feel almost every one of his muscles ache. The alley had been cold and he’d had to do so many retakes because of the wind screwing up his clothes. And the model he’d had to work with kept squealing every few minutes because of the wind too. What Niall needs is to go to bed super early and a hunky guy to cuddle up to.

He gets not even one of the two.

He’s in bed by eight but soon it’s nine forty five and he _still_ can’t sleep. He thinks he should get up and go see what Harry and Liam are doing but he knows he shouldn’t. His body has to come first. Problem is his body isn’t letting him put itself first.

Niall groans and rolls onto his back to stare up at the ceiling.

Harry’s been helping his mate out at the pizza shop for a bit of spending money so he’s not around as much as they’d both like. Liam works nine to three every weekday and even then he has some random moments at home where he’s scribbling away and strumming dodgy chords out on his guitar. Niall kind of wants to teach him how to play them right but he doesn’t want to offend the guy. It’s not like they’re wrong anyway, there’s just an easier way for him to play half of them.

Right, the point is Niall doesn’t really have any hobbies. Movies are fine and his guitar keeps him amused for a few hours but most of the time when the others are out, he’s home alone and bored stupid. He models about once or twice a week, and the times are always varied, depending on how good he is on set. Honestly he’d want to take on a few more shifts and challenges but when there isn’t a change in the seasons, he only gets to model for the site’s new in’s.

Niall’s just in the middle of planning out a new workout routine to hopefully improve his look when Liam stumbles in and strips off his shirt. It’s too late by the time he notices that Niall’s still up. Their eyes have already met and they both kind of just freeze up. With Niall now half propped up in bed and Liam with his shirt still tangled around his wrists. Niall wonders briefly if there will ever come a time when these little awkward moments between them without Harry around will ever fade out.

Liam’s the first to recompose himself. He manages a small smile before shaking his head and throwing his shirt to the ground. Niall thinks he should say something but he has no idea what. Liam takes a seat on his side of the bed and starts taking off his watch.

“Still awake, huh?” Liam mumbles. Niall nods then realises Liam’s not looking.

“...yeah, no idea why though.” Niall answers. “Must be broken or something.”

Liam snickers and shuffles under the covers. Niall frowns to himself.

“What’re you doing here, anyway? It’s not even ten.” Niall adds. “How weak.”

Liam scoffs and rolls onto his side and faces the wall. He yanks basically all the covers with him. Niall grabs the covers, huffs, and does the same. Liam stifles a laugh.

“Ready for bed on a Friday before ten, how ridiculous.” Liam muses. “We’re getting old, I must say.”

“What?” Niall fakes. “Speak up, I don’t have my aids in!”

“Did I make sure to let the cat in?!” Liam relays. Niall bursts into a giggle and buries his face into his pillow. Liam wishes he’d have been blessed to have seen something so cute. He’s also grateful he didn’t. “Put your teeth back in you’re not making any sense!”

Niall laughs harder and pushes his face in deeper to muffle it. The joke isn’t even that funny but the old woman voice Liam’s putting on _definitely_ is. Liam creeps closer and rests a hand on Niall’s hip, presses his lips right up against Niall’s ear:

“Be a dear and rub some ointment on my feet I’ve got terrible bunions.” Liam whispers.

Niall lets loose a really loud snort and tries to jump off the bed. Liam’s hand’s pinning him down though.

“Have you ever done it in a wheelchair?” Liam murmurs. Niall’s clutching at his sides and trying to hold himself together since he can’t escape. “Bet you’ve never been with a lady with some _real_ experience.”

Niall snaps and lunges at Liam, clamps both hands over his mouth, and pins him beneath him in the middle of the bed. Niall’s now sitting on Liam’s stomach and has no intention to move. Not until he’s sure Liam’s put that demon away. For good.

“Get back in your cage, Mavis!” Niall shrieks. “How traumatising!”

Niall sees Liam’s eyes scrunch up and feels him smile beneath his hand with his sincere eyes and bunched cheeks and slowly pulls his hand away. Maybe stares at the beautiful angel smiling beneath him for a bit longer than a minute. Then comes back to Earth.

“Christ Liam I was already having a hard time getting to sleep.” Niall sighs, defeated. Liam just keeps beaming back. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.”

Niall catches himself staring again and sighs then lets himself fall sideways and off of Liam, back onto his side of the bed. Liam sighs at the loss of contact. He’s now filled with a huge urge to play fight with Niall but he can tell Niall’s too drained for it. Damn, he’ll have to add that to his list of things to try out on Niall to bring them closer for later.

By the time Liam’s finished pouting Niall’s already back under the covers and turning away on his side. Liam decides he’s not satisfied yet tonight so he allows himself a look. He crawls back under the covers too but when he rolls onto his side, he rolls to face Niall. Liam bites his lip as he lets his eyes have their vacation. Fights back a groan as his vision trails down from Niall’s shoulders to the ridiculous dip of his waist, holds his breath as he admires the shape of Niall’s hips, tries not to impale himself as he remembers how beautifully they fit up against his.

Liam doesn’t care that Niall’s not really delicate or super muscular. He cares more that Niall’s just the right balance to suit his needs and cravings. The fact that Niall’s soft yet firm but submissive yet strong and shy yet brave is somehow everything to Liam. Liam’s never had anything close to a type until now but now if he’d have to choose, he’d simply choose Niall. Niall and all his deep moans and heavily flushed skin and incredible waist that seems to be built just for Liam to hold on to and shove back and forth as hard as he wants.

Liam’s a slack jaw away from drooling when Niall speaks up. It stuns Liam into a coma almost, purely because he just wasn’t expecting it.

“Liam?” Niall murmurs. “...can we cuddle?”

Liam’s heart flat lines for a bit. His brain, too.

“What?” Liam answers, dumbfounded, honestly. Niall presses his lips together and summons up some more courage. He’d been hoping that’d have been all it took. Niall’s an idiot though, so. Of course it wasn’t.

“...every one of my muscles aches.” Niall explains. “I think it’s what’s stopping me from falling asleep, so...”

Long pause.

Way too long of a pause.

Liam could have fallen asleep in it if his body wasn’t currently surging with fire.

“Ah... i-it’s just that body heat’s even better for me than medicine, so...” Niall continues. His voice is getting lower and more muffled by the second and Liam almost goes into cardiac arrest when he realises it’s because Niall’s hiding his face into his corner of blanket. ”...so um... ah, it’s fine if you don’t want to. Actually yeah, uh, just forget about i-“

Liam’s sliding closer and wrapping his arms right around him. He slips an arm around Niall’s waist and up under his arm, then gets his other between Niall’s head and his pillow so Niall can use his bicep as one instead. Liam even nuzzles his face into Niall’s neck and sighs into it. Niall’s kind of stunned but he relaxes and lets himself melt into it none the less. Liam then one ups himself and slips his hand into Niall’s and interlaces their fingers, squeezing their hands tight as he cuddles them to Niall’s chest. Niall flushes bright red.

“...you’re going all out, huh?” Niall nervously mumbles. Liam’s _so_ warm, he’s scared he’ll get used to it.

“Not my fault you’re really easy to cuddle.” Liam murmurs. Niall knows what Liam means. He knows his shoulders and waist and hips and even his legs are just that perfect size smaller than Liam’s. He knows far too well that they fit so snugly together, like a box to a lid. Knows that physically at least, he and Liam are compatibly perfect.

All that aside though it doesn’t explain the hand holding.

Liam has a girlfriend who’s hand he can hold. Granted she hasn’t shown up around the apartment yet, but still. Niall’s not a replacement.

Niall doesn’t let go though.

He feel’s Liam sigh into his skin again and he needs his hand held to stop himself from shuddering and leaning back into it.

He hasn’t done it in _three weeks_ now, remember.

Then Liam has to kiss his neck and, well, Niall can’t hold it in any longer.

“...what are you doing?” Niall mumbles. “You’re getting further than just cuddling, aren’t you? Explain yourself.”

Liam scoffs as if he’s just been greatly offended and tightens his arm around Niall’s waist, then nuzzles his face in even closer.

“You’re feeling sore right? I’m kissing it better.” Liam reasons. What a stupid reason, Liam.

“Oh? Well my entire body is sore, you gonna kiss that better too?” Niall jeers. Liam rolls his eyes. He knows it’s half an invitation but he’s not going to take it. As long as Niall never fully means it, Liam’s never going to take it.

“Can’t be bothered.” Liam answers. Niall would be offended if he had the energy for it, but he doesn’t. And now that he can feel Liam’s heat surging through him, he doesn’t have the energy to stay awake either. He lets out a long breath and closes his eyes. Maybe even allows himself to take in Liam’s scent as well. Maybe even lets himself enjoy it.

“...night, Liam.” Niall whispers. Liam gives his hand a very feint squeeze then relaxes. Liam’s exhausted too, to be honest.

“Night, Niall.” Liam breathes.

 

 

Liam doesn’t know what he was expecting the next morning, but what actually happens, he definitely wasn’t.

Liam wakes up to his alarm at half ten and when he rolls over to slam his hand down on the snooze button, he freezes.

Niall’s cuddled right up to his chest, without his shirt, and, well, shit.

Sure Liam wasn’t wearing one last night but Niall was and now suddenly isn’t and _come on this isn’t fair_ on Liam.

Liam freezes because Niall’s got his arms around Liam’s shoulders and his face buried in his neck and frankly, Liam can’t sit up with the weight of two people and not wake him.

Sadly the alarm will though, so Liam has no choice but to sit up and try again. Niall actually clings to Liam until he’s almost sitting up with him before his arms loosen and he falls back down onto the bed, face first. Liam winces. Niall doesn’t.

Liam turns his alarm off and runs a hand through his hair and sighs as he looks down at the beautiful blonde still somehow living in his apartment. He doesn’t know how long this good mood between them will last but he likes the sound of forever. If he and Niall could wake up together like this every day from now on then Liam see’s it physically impossible for him to be happier. Liam knows it won’t though but he’s a dreamer.

Niall groans and reaches for Liam’s pillow instead of his own and cuddles it so tight Liam’s scared it’ll pop and release an explosion of feathers. Niall then groans again and buries his face into his own pillow, then releases another three groans. Liam starts to get a bad feeling.

“Liam... think I’m sick...” Niall grumbles. Liam hates his intuition. “Call... ah, you gotta call Harry, quick.”

Liam wants to pop that pillow himself now. How dare even the name of Harry be uttered while Niall’s shirtless and in his bed? The nerve of the bastard.

“Huh? Why? Is something wrong?” Liam answers. He realises that Niall’s obviously sick and obviously there is something wrong, so he rephrases the question. “Fuck, I mean, do you know what it is? Is it something pre-existing? Like a permanent illness?”

Niall shakes his head and buries his face further into his pillow. Liam wonders if he can even breathe like that.

“It’s not- ah... I mean it does happen a lot but- damn, just call Harry alright? He’ll explain it.” Niall urges.

Harry’s out this morning so Liam sadly has no choice. He reaches for his phone and gets up off the bed, then wanders out into the hallway as the phone rings in case this turns into a conversation Niall shouldn’t have to hear.

Liam’s in the kitchen and still waiting for Harry to answer when Zayn stumbles in through the front door and joins him. Liam almost tells him to get lost but orders him to make Niall a cup of tea instead. Zayn doesn’t get a hello when Niall’s health is at stake. Liam doesn’t know how long this call will last so he needs to be comforted by the fact that Niall will have a hot beverage at least.

Harry picks up just as Zayn reluctantly clicks the kettle on.

“Liam?” Harry answers, straight out. Fine, Liam didn’t want to say hello either. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

Liam would ask how he knows but he and Harry don’t call each other, so.

“Ah, Niall’s uh, sick, I guess?” Liam says. “He told me to call you so, can you tell me why?”

“What?! Sick?! Is that all?! What a whimp!” Harry screeches. Liam frowns and flinches away from the speaker.

“Um...” Liam mumbles, because, well, he still doesn’t know why he called to begin with. “...is there something I should know or is he just wanting attention?”

Harry groans back.

“Well you do need to know, but-“ Harry grumbles. “He could’ve told you himself, he’s such a chicken, how ridiculous.”

“Spit it out Harry, it’s too early for phone calls.” Liam grumbles back. Harry rolls his eyes and Liam somehow knows he’s doing it.

Zayn gives Liam a strange look as he picks up Niall’s mug and goes to take it in to him.

“It’s nothing huge, really.” Harry explains. “Niall just gets a bit weird when he’s sick. If he’s around anyone for the first twenty four hours, he’ll latch on to them and not let go until he’s better, he’s like a leech! You’re not with him now, right? He hasn’t gotten you yet? Keep him locked away until I get back alright? Once he’s attached there’s no getting him off, it’s ridiculous! Even the jaws of life wouldn’t separate him!”

Liam hears the sound of something falling over in their bedroom and goes into instant panic.

Liam bolts back down the hallway with Harry still on the line and bursts into their bedroom, eyes wide, heart pounding. Sure enough Zayn’s stuck in the middle of the bed with Niall’s arms clamped around him. Right around his waist, too. With Niall’s head buried into his stomach. Niall’s cup of tea’s safely on the night stand but the lamp’s been knocked over. Zayn’s whining and trying to pry Niall off but with absolutely no results.

Liam groans and dramatically collapses against the door. Harry’s now yelling at him from inside his hand, wondering what the hell happened. Liam groans again and runs a hand through his hair, lifts his phone back to his ear, and swears under his breath.

“It’s too late.” Liam curses. “Thanks anyway, mate.”

Liam hangs up and sets his phone down on his bedside table.

Liam zones out for a minute with his eyes unfocused. His brain’s turned to absolute mush, filled with images of Zayn and Niall sleeping together, eating breakfast, _showering_ , and he wants to scream that he wishes it were him in Zayn’s place.

Liam should be the one to take care of Niall, not Zayn. Never Zayn.

 

_Liam._

Not.

Zayn.

 

Liam’s about to cry and explain the situation to Zayn when he reasons that hey, he’s stronger than Harry, maybe he can pry Niall off. He motions for Zayn to come closer with his hand and Zayn very difficultly manages to struggle on over to Liam’s side of the bed. Thing is though Liam doesn’t even need to get his hands on them before Niall’s suddenly releasing Zayn and flinging himself at Liam instead. Before Liam can dodge it Niall’s got his arms around _his_ middle and Liam’s wrapping his arms around him to make sure he doesn’t fall over the edge.

Niall crawls forward off the bed and stands up all on his own and snuggles right up to Liam’s chest. He buries his face in it, nuzzles himself in, the whole shebang. Liam can’t help but pull him close and bite his lip.

Aside from the obvious, right away both Liam and Zayn notice that Niall’s not himself. His cheeks have flushed scarlet and he’s kind of out of breath and if they could describe his state in one word, it’d be delirious.

If you could describe Liam’s state in one word, it’d be euphoric.

Niall’s going to cling to him the entire day and he could just die of happiness. Even if the affection is technically fake. Then again Niall or anyone else for that matter wouldn’t notice. Liam’s already wearing his stone cold poker face.

 

Three hours later Niall and Liam are on the couch and after (with Liam very reluctant) a good twenty minutes of attempting to pry Niall off with the help of Zayn, everyone’s given up.

Zayn had gone back to his place to let them be alone and that’s exactly what they’ve been doing.

Being alone.

Together, on the couch, cuddling, watching movies, being very, _very_ cosy.

Liam doesn’t understand why Harry even had to warn him in the first place.

So Niall needs to be held for a day, so what? Why the big fuss to begin with?

 

Liam doesn’t see the obstacles until he hits the first. Or rather, slams into it.

Liam had been way too comfy on the couch with Niall lying on top and cuddling up to his chest, it was only human for him to not want to get up and go pee until the last minute. Which is what he did. And now he needs to pee so _damn_ badly and doesn’t have enough time to figure out a way out of it. Niall’s stuck like glue. No matter how hard Liam pries, he doesn’t even manage to get an inch between them.

Liam can’t believe he’s been bested in a contest of strength by this blonde twink.

The most infuriating part is that after a separating attempt, Niall just looks up at Liam with these big puppy dog eyes as if he’s saying “What are you doing with your hands? Are you trying to do something, I can’t tell?”

Liam’s pride’s getting a little hurt.

And he needs to _pee_.

 

Saviour Harry comes home not a minute too late.

Liam practically bolts to him at the front door and gets closer to him enough so that Niall will jump ship like he’d done with Zayn.

Niall doesn’t.

Niall stays put.

Harry’s slightly offended by the greeting.

“What? You came to show off? That he’s stuck to you? How cruel, Liam.” Harry muses. Liam rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, just take him already! I’m about to burst.” Liam rushes. He grips Niall under the arms and tries to hand him over but it doesn’t work.

Niall doesn’t even look up from Liam’s shirt to see what’s going on.

Liam would find it cute if he wasn’t currently facing wetting himself.

Harry scoffs.

“You crazy? I told you, remember? Once he’s on, he doesn’t budge. You’re stuck, mate.” Harry sighs. “...Still don’t get why he didn’t tell you himself. He literally could’ve just asked you to leave the room and lock him in so he could explain it through the door. How ridiculous.”

“He jumped from Zayn to me before, this should be fine though, right? He knows you a thousand times more.” Liam frowns. Harry’s face goes blank.

Surely he misheard it.

“What?” Harry frowns back. “He did?”

“Yeah, he grabbed on to Zayn when I was on the phone to you. I went to try and pull him off but he just switched to me instead.” Liam sighs. “Look, can you just fix it, alright? How’d you go to the loo when he did this to you? There’s a trick, right?”

Harry’s still blank faced.

Niall’s never switched from someone to another in fifteen years.

He’s literally never done it.

Harry’s legs go a little weak and he has to brace himself against the door for a minute.

Liam still needs to pee.

“Harry, _please_ , I really, really need to go.” Liam hurries. Harry’s face doesn’t change. Liam groans and heads down the hallway towards the door to the bathroom with Niall still in toe. Liam tries asking Niall to just wait outside for two minutes but it does absolutely nothing. Niall just looks up at him with those dopy blue eyes and flushed cheeks. Liam would be trying not to blush if he didn’t need to pee.

Liam’s already got the bathroom door open and about to face his hell when Harry’s suddenly calling out to him and jogging down the hall. Liam doesn’t know if he can last another thirty seconds of conversation.

“W-Wait...” Harry mumbles when he finally reaches them. “I’ve... I’ve got an idea...”

Then Harry jogs off down the hall towards Liam’s bedroom and Liam’s left frowning to himself. Liam thinks if Harry has an idea then he should share it instead of starting an aerobics work out. Liam’s about to shut the door and just get it over with when Harry comes back. Liam frowns at the creation in Harry’s hands. He’s got a pillow with one of Liam’s shirts pulled over it and it looks absolutely useless.

Harry waves the pillow in front of Niall and he and Liam watch in stunned disbelief as Niall pokes his head out of Liam’s shirt to get a look at the thing. Harry keeps shaking the pillow like he’s offering a new teddy bear to a child and holds his breath.

Niall hesitantly releases Liam and latches on to the pillow instead. He crushes it tight and nuzzles his face into it and Liam would be super duper embarrassed if he’d had the time to enjoy it. The second Niall had released him though Liam had pulled the bathroom door shut, locked it, and was teleporting in front of the toilet.

A minute later once Liam’s relieved and able to stand up straight again, he comes back out of the toilet.

He’s not sure what he’s expecting.

Maybe for Niall to have latched on to Harry.

Maybe for Niall to be hiding somewhere in the house with the pillow and to be hissing at anyone who comes near it.

Maybe hoping a little bit that Niall will latch right back on to him instead.

Which is why Liam’s actually left speechless when Niall does.

Liam doesn’t even make it halfway through the doorway before Niall’s dropping the pillow to the floor and throwing himself at Liam instead. Before Liam can even dodge it Niall’s back and attached and Liam’s turning scarlet.

He doesn’t have anything to focus on now other than Niall’s grip and tropical island smelling hair.

Liam wraps his arms back around Niall and holds him close.

Harry feels like so much of a third wheel that he becomes a physical ball of envy and bitterness.

“...just so you know, Niall won’t remember any of this.” Harry mutters. Liam looks up from Niall’s adorable nose that’s pushed into his chest and blinks.

“Huh?” He says.

Harry takes a step forward and clicks his fingers in front of Niall’s face. Niall doesn’t even flinch.

“He doesn’t remember anything that happens when he’s sick.” Harry explains. “...’m not trying to be a jackass but all this doesn’t mean anything to him... you got that?”

Liam can tell Harry’s not completely in control of his emotions right now. Liam decides that that means it’s fair for him to not be either.

“Oh..?” Liam muses. Suddenly Liam drops one of his arms from around Niall’s shoulders down to his waist. He wraps it right around him and as he grips Niall’s side, he uses it to pull their bodies right up against each other. Niall cuddles up nice and close. Liam slides his other arm up under Niall’s, grabs the back of his head, and buries Niall’s face into his shoulder. Then leans forward, presses his lips behind Niall’s ear, and slides his hand down lower to give Niall’s ass a slow, really intimate grope. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Harry the entire time he does it. “...lucky me.” Liam adds. “Guess I don’t have to hold anything back, then?”

Harry’s eyes go wide. He’d never have imagined that Liam would actually challenge him like that.

Harry see’s Niall’s arms flex and Liam’s shirt around his shoulders tug back and he _knows_ Niall’s just fisted his hands around it. Liam hugs him tighter and gives him another kiss, gives his ass another grab.

It’s too much.

He can’t help it.

Harry bursts out laughing and covers a hand over his mouth to hold himself back.

 

“That’s brilliant!” Harry gasps. “Jesus, you really went all out just now, didn’t you?”

Liam’s both confused and stunned.

Harry randomly turns around and starts heading for his room without finishing the conversation.

“Wh-“ Liam starts but Harry’s already raising a hand up over his shoulder so he can wave Liam off without looking back.

“You should show Niall that jealousy of yours sometime! He’d take you to bed for it!” Harry calls. “Seriously! He can’t resist it!”

 

A few moments later Harry’s disappeared behind his door and Liam ends up just standing there in shock for a good twenty minutes.

It takes Niall tightening his grip and sighing into his neck to pull him out of it.


	12. Ask

Sunday’s a strange day for all of them.

Yesterday had been fine because both Niall and Liam had had the day off but Liam’s now realised the truth to Harry’s words. Harry had said that Niall would be stuck until he gets better if he managed to get his hands on someone. And yeah, even though it for some reason has to be Liam, the rest of that hasn’t changed.

Niall’s still quite sick and there’s no way in hell he’ll be better by tomorrow.

Meaning Liam won’t be released tomorrow. Meaning Liam can’t go to work tomorrow. Meaning Niall can’t go to his shoot tonight. Meaning if Niall gets fired then Liam can kiss any chance of winning Niall’s heart goodbye.

If Niall doesn’t even have a job to support himself then he won’t see anything but a guy giving him charity in Liam. Liam _needs_ Niall to see him as Liam.

Liam cares about Niall not being sad from being fired too but at this stage he’s not even sure if Niall likes modelling so he can’t use it to fuel his spirit at the moment.

Liam just wants to protect Niall and anything at all he finds precious.

Right, Liam’s been thinking about Niall and their possible future for the past thirty minutes since he woke up and has muddled even his own brain up. He forgets what he was even trying to figure out for a bit.

Eventually Niall wakes up and Liam manages to stumble the two of them out of the room and into the kitchen to have breakfast.

 

Sickeningly disgusting is how Harry describes it.

The entire meal is consistent of Niall cuddling up to Liam’s chest with flushed cheeks and Liam cooing to him in soft voices to open up and have a bite of whatever Liam’s trying to feed him. Every “ah” and “come on, Ni” makes Harry’s throat convulse and try to throw up the absolute nothing he’s managed to eat himself while watching them. By the end of it Liam’s got Niall on his lap at the table with Niall’s arms around his neck. Liam has to hold his own bowl with the arm he has looped around Niall’s middle and can only manage to take a bite with his free hand whenever Niall’s stopped nuzzling into him for a moment.

When Liam actually picks Niall up after the meal and carries him like a bride into the living room, Harry’s had enough of it. He grabs his scarf and wallet and flees the apartment before it’s too late to stop himself from dry heaving into the kitchen sink.

Only when that door shuts though does Liam remember what he’d supposed to have been working out. How Niall and he are going to manage to get to and do their work. Liam can probably bring Niall in for a day and make it work out but any longer than that is out of the question. In Niall’s case, Liam’s pretty sure Niall can’t model anything with his arms around Liam’s entire existence.

Liam’s mid way of reaching for his phone to text Harry and ask if he can do something about Niall’s work when Niall lets loose this adorable little murmur and wipes Liam’s mind blank. And before Liam can get his thoughts back, Niall’s climbing further up both the couch and Liam and nuzzling his face into the crook of Liam’s neck.

Liam forgets about every problem he’s ever thought of for the next three hours and decides the time is better spent holding Niall close on the couch and counting every single freckle on each of his cheeks. Maybe taking a selfie or two to mark the moment. He’ll be able to flirtily tease Niall with them later to his heart’s content.

 

It’s about half two in the afternoon when Harry finally comes back, surprisingly enough, with new clothes and a haircut. Before Liam can even ask about work, Harry’s beating him to it:

“I called the studio for Niall and told them it’s happened again. They’ve already dealt with this before so he won’t lose his job, but, normally it’s our job to find someone to fill in for him.” Harry explains. Liam’s just starting to think Harry’s about to suggest something ridiculous of Zayn and Louis when Niall decides to have a huge coughing fit into Liam’s chest. Liam forgets the conversation and gives his full attention to getting Niall some water and soothing him through it. Harry ignores the two hopelessly flustered idiots and carries on regardless. “I used to work there too before uni, so, they said it’d be fine if I went in his place tonight.”

Liam isn’t sure how he feels about that. On one hand it means Harry’s out of the flat and he and Niall can be alone but at the same time it means Harry’s the one Niall’s really relying on instead of Liam. Obviously Liam’s ego is currently blocking out the fact that Liam’s the one giving both Niall and his best friend a roof over their heads, food, hot water, everything they need really, in general. Not to mention that Liam’s the one supporting Niall in his big crusade to keep Harry from finding out, cheering him up and helping him through the break up, buying him clothes and giving him hope that he can maybe one day stand proud in front of his best mate again. But yeah, Harry helping Niall just this once instead of Liam?

How _dare_ he.

Liam realises he better haul his jealousy in before he becomes something possessive and un-dateable and unpleasant.

“...that’s great.” Liam finally manages. “I was really panicking there for a bit.”

Harry looks Liam over and can _tell_ that isn’t all he wants to say but also sees that what Liam has said at least, is in fact genuine. Harry decides not to build any more tension between them whilst Niall’s still zoned out and barely conscious. Harry decides to respond with a nod and try not to look at his ex who’s getting comfy on this asshole’s lap as he makes up an excuse about having to go in early to be fitted before fleeing the sickeningly sweet scene for the second time that day.

Soon once again Harry is gone and Liam’s left alone with an adorable chunk of submissive cuteness cuddling into his pecs.

 

Liam’s selfish honeymoon ends at eight that night.

Liam and Niall are still cuddling on the couch and watching the tele when Niall suddenly lets out a much more coherent moan. Liam’s ears prick up. At the same time as Niall looks up, Liam looks down, and their eyes instantly meet. Liam’s good mood vanishes. Niall’s eyes aren’t unfocused anymore and he looks very, very stunned at how close the two of them are and as if he definitely can’t remember how this situation came to be.

Niall’s woken up from his sickly sleep.

“...Liam..?” Niall murmurs. Niall frowns to himself when he feels the croak in his voice and the soreness in his throat. He pieces it together pretty quickly. “Why’re we-”

Niall flushes bright red. Liam’s never seen him so embarrassed. And considering their earlier history, that really is saying something. Liam’s disappointment at the fact that Niall’s conscious doesn’t even have time to sprout before it’s replaced with a new kind of happiness. An opportunity to flirt with and tease Niall till he breaks happiness.

“You finally awake?” Liam breathes. He tries not to sound too overjoyed. He uses any traces of disappointment left to counterbalance it.

For Niall, Liam’s suddenly _really_ near and holding him close and all soft gazes and voices and well, nothing Liam does to him right now could possibly help his embarrassment go away any sooner. Like Niall’s already taking so much advantage of Liam’s hospitality and money and basically everything and now he’s also gone and hindered him with his crazy kind of sick? Let Liam see him at his worst? Shown the enemy his last remaining weakness?

Niall really can’t imagine being any colour less than scarlet for the next thirty minutes. Close proximity to Liam equals the instant death of Niall’s heart’s walls, apparently.

“Wh-What day is it..?” Niall manages, skin unchanging. Liam tries to fight back his smile by biting his lip. It makes Niall swoon even harder though when he sees it from this distance.

“It’s Sunday night.” Liam breathes. “Harry went to fill in for you at work.”

Niall’s eyes widen. Harry had to witness Niall being clingy to Liam all weekend and now he’s filling in for him to boot? Harry’s going to murder him later, subconsciously or on purpose.

Niall shoves Harry aside pretty quickly though. Niall needs to get off of Liam. This instant.

“Ah... s-sorry about all this-“ Niall starts but, well, as he sits up and goes to get off of Liam, his legs won’t let him. His knees stay clamped around Liam’s waist and Liam has to spring upward from his seat to catch Niall before he falls off the couch and takes Liam with him. Niall looks up from Liam’s arms where he’s currently being tenderly embraced and feels his world freeze over in an instant. “...huh..?” Niall mumbles. “Wh-“

Niall tries to move his legs but with absolutely no results.

“...why can’t I get up?” Niall trails off.

Light’s now not just shining but full on beaming back into Liam’s life at a hundred miles a minute.

Niall’s conscious but still stuck and this is possibly the best thing to ever happen in the history of forever.

Liam can’t hide his happiness any longer. His entire face breaks out into a look of pure joy and excitement and Niall’s frozen world cracks into a million tiny pieces. Niall’s realised it too. He’s awake and they’re still stuck. Niall refuses to admit it.

“H-Help push me off, yeah?” Niall asks. Liam bites his lip again and clamps his hands down on Niall’s thighs and tries to pry them slightly apart so that he can escape. Liam sadly can’t half-ass the effort when Niall’s awake. Thankfully though the moment Liam gets Niall’s legs to move, Niall’s surging forward and wrapping his arms around Liam’s neck instead. Liam smiles even harder. Brilliant. “Wh-“

“Looks like it’s useless.” Liam muses. “You’re still stuck by the looks of it.”

Niall takes in the situation a little more and can’t believe he’s been clinging to people like this every time he’s ever gotten sick. Thank god he’s never gotten properly sick since he became homeless.

And god damn, why is Liam so smiley and warm and fit?

Niall’s blushing so much he’s scared he’ll get dizzy from it.

“You feeling alright?” Liam asks. “Do you want something to eat? Pain killers? Something to drink, at least?”

Niall glances down at the zero space between he and Liam and focuses his very soul into making his legs the things attached instead of his arms. It actually seems to work.

“Umm... I kind of need to use the loo.” Niall mumbles. He says the next bit before he can stop it. “...and a shower would be good, too.”

Liam’s face goes blank. Niall’s not making eye contact anymore. He’s keeping them focused on his hands clenched into fists in his lap.

Liam used the pillow yesterday for a shower before he went to sleep but Niall hasn’t had one since Friday night. Liam isn’t sure how they’ll go about it. Liam’s been forcing Niall to use the bathroom by giving him the pillow instead then locking him in the loo until he’s heard the flush but showering, he seriously doubts anything apart from getting in with Niall will work.

Today’s a great day for Liam.

“C’mon, put your arms around my neck, we can’t walk with you stuck to me like that.” Liam smirks. Niall reluctantly does as he’s asked but makes sure to scowl back. It only makes Liam smirk wider. The two of them stand up and Niall’s arms seem to shift by themselves to around Liam’s middle instead. Niall can’t believe a condition so embarrassing even exists. “Let’s go get the pillow, yeah?”

Niall wants to ask what the pillow is but he’s too afraid to manage it. Instead he lets Liam guide him down the hallway towards the bathroom where the pillow with Liam’s shirt is resting against the doorframe. Niall stops breathing the second he sees it.

How _embarrassing._

Liam picks it up and waves it in front of Niall’s face a bit. Niall jumps ship in a heartbeat.

Niall wants to run away from Liam and fling himself over the balcony before his last millimetre of dignity leaves first.

Before Liam gets to taunt Niall though like Niall expects, Niall’s feeling a hand shoving his back and he’s stumbling into the bathroom, pillow and all. The door gets yanked shut and before Niall’s body can even try to push its way back out, Liam’s locked the door shut. Niall stands there in the bathroom with his face buried in Liam’s pillow in stunned silence.

Niall remembers for a moment that he always expects Liam to do something worse than he ever does. Thinks that maybe he should give Liam a little more human being credit.

Anyway, now that Niall’s in here, he finds that peeing really isn’t at all difficult, but once he’s very awkwardly managed to wash his hands with the pillow still in his grip, Niall’s found a big problem.

Niall won’t be able to get under that shower without the pillow attached to him. Niall _can’t_ take the pillow in with him. He never wants to admit it in a million years but he somehow _knows_ that the reason is because Liam’s scent will be washed off in an instant. And Niall physically can’t get his body to move and force itself into such a predicament.

It won’t work.

After trying several different things, Niall even tries flinging himself into just the cubicle itself but his feet don’t budge an inch.

It’s absolutely impossible.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

 

After ten minutes of self-agonising internal conflict, Niall forces himself back over to the door to ask for the worst.

“Liam..?” Niall mumbles. Liam doesn’t answer. “...can you come in and help me get in the shower please?”

Liam whacks a hand over his mouth and tries to contain himself even a little bit. It’s useless.

“Doesn’t sound very appetising.” Liam smirks. “Can’t you make it sound a little better?”

Niall slams his head against the door and groans into it. Liam stifles a laugh. Niall can’t read anything when it comes to Liam but he’s still positive that he’s _definitely_ a sadist. Liam’s in heaven.

“...Can you come shower with me..?” Niall mumbles. Liam wishes he’d recorded it.

“Why? Are you lonely?” Liam beams. Niall’s going to strangle him in his sleep tonight. He’s sure his hands will be able to manage it as long as they stay in contact.

But for now at least, Niall has to bite the bullet. He can’t add the embarrassment of being unclean to the already heaping pile he’s made out of clinging and hindering Liam’s very existence.

“...yeah, ‘m lonely.” Niall murmurs. “Come in here and help warm me up, Li.”

Liam wasn’t expecting that. Swearing and door pounding, yes. Cute nicknames and general all round submissiveness?

Nope.

Liam forgets the teasing and decides he’d rather just take advantage of the situation and be over-intimately close with Niall instead.

Liam jerks the door open and the moment Niall sets his eyes on him, Niall’s dropping the pillow and stumbling over to Liam instead. Liam receives Niall with open arms and fights back a groan as he feels Niall bury his face into the shoulder of his shirt as he holds him back. It’s dramatic and embarrassing and Niall can’t help but get more than a little swept up in it. Before he knows what he’s doing he’s pulling his face out of Liam’s shoulder and turning it up to face Liam himself. Liam’s already looking back, at his lips, and damn it, three weeks of torture and this is finally it.

Niall closes his eyes and tilts his chin up a bit. He feels Liam’s arm tighten around his waist and Liam’s hand that’s already in his hair moving to cup his cheek.

Niall waits.

Niall’s left disappointed.

Liam’s hand shifts to feel Niall’s forehead and check his temperature and not his cheek and Niall’s left feeling like an absolute idiot.

Right, Liam won’t kiss him, Niall already learnt that the hard way.

Why the _fuck_ did Niall get some tiny hopes up only to be left hanging and painfully diverted once again? This is the absolute worst.

Liam sighs at the fact that Niall’s fever’s still pretty high then randomly let’s him go to start taking off his shirt. Niall doesn’t get that Liam’s sighing because of his fever though. He thinks Liam’s sighing as if “fine, I’ll give you what you want.”

It takes Niall a minute to get past his mountain of a hurdle of embarrassment and realise that being forced to shower with Liam is in fact, exactly what he wants. Niall patiently waits until Liam’s stripped down to his underwear before him, and makes sure to stay holding Liam’s waist so that Liam can help take Niall’s shirt off as well. Liam actually does. Niall’s pants and boxers, too.

Niall’s scarlet cheeks are back. He doesn’t understand it. Of all the things he and Liam have already done, why on Earth is he _now_ feeling self conscious?

Liam takes a step closer and Niall’s entire body turns stiff. Liam then takes a further three steps forward and backs Niall up into the shower and reaches past Niall to turn on the tap. Niall flinches as the hot water hits and glances back up at Liam once his eyes have gotten used to it. His heart’s pounding and his face is on fire and he’s trying so damn hard not to get it up an-

Niall realises Liam’s not looking at him even one bit.

Niall’s self confidence takes a small hit.

“Think you can pull back to just holding one hand while you’re in here?” Liam asks. He’s literally staring at the ceiling and yeah, Niall’s not feeling very attractive at all in this moment. Niall remembers Liam had asked a question and focuses on trying it out instead of staying depressed. They’ve still got a whole shower to get through, Liam can’t resist forever, Niall hopes.

Wait, Niall hopes nothing. Damn it Niall.

After a bit of fumbling, the two of them manage to get to a point where Liam’s only holding Niall’s right hand. It lasts not even half a minute. Niall’s twenty seconds into washing his hair when his fingers start to wander. Niall feels them start pushing Liam’s hand open and interlocking themselves with his. Apparently normal hand holding doesn’t cut it, Niall just _has_ to go for the intimate boyfriend grip. Splendid.

Liam’s currently got his eyes shut and is painfully trying to hold himself back. He feels like a dog that’s had a treat put on its nose and has been told not to eat. The moment Liam had taken Niall’s shirt off he’d realised that this wasn’t heaven but in fact the deepest pit of hell and that there’s no turning back.

Liam has to keep his hands to himself.

Liam doesn’t bloody want to keep them to himself.

Liam’s corner of hell gets even darker when Niall reaches a dilemma. Liam’s in the middle of trying to think the alphabet backwards when Niall just has to go and make everything worse.

“Uhm... L-Liam..?” Niall murmurs. Liam grip’s Niall’s hand tight back.

“...yeah..?” Liam manages. He’s struggling. He’s so, so struggling.

“I uh... I can’t wash certain things with only one hand.” Niall adds. Liam almost breaks the hand of Niall’s he’s holding when he subconsciously tightens his grip. Liam curses that there better be a great damn prize at the end of this test. The shower falls silent for a good five minutes as Liam tries to keep his drive in check.

“...would me holding your waist work..?” Liam finally answers. Niall bites his lip and gives a nod back. Then remembers Liam’s not even looking at him.

“Uh, yeah... that’d probably be alright.” Niall mumbles. Niall’s going to call his parents and complain that they must’ve dropped him on his head as a kid because this condition definitely isn’t _his_ fault.

Liam sighs and steps forward. He places a hand on Niall’s waist from behind and slides his hand currently in Niall’s up his arm to rest it on his shoulder. Niall doesn’t seem to move. Liam bites his lip and tries to imagine anything and everything disgusting he’s ever seen to keep a handle on himself. He sighs again and forces his hand slowly down Niall’s back and eventually manages to get it to rest at his waist opposite the other. Liam sighs again and directs his eyes up to the ceiling again before it’s too late.

It kind of already is.

Liam dragging his hands slowly up and down Niall’s body and back?

How the _fuck_ is Niall supposed to stay calm during that?

It’s been _three weeks_.

Niall clenches his eyes shut and half prays that Liam won’t notice how very half hard he already is. His other half kind of really hopes Liam does.

 

Liam doesn’t.

Liam’s too focused on drowning out his own thoughts and keeping his head facing the ceiling and definitely not paying attention to the feeling of Niall’s hips moving and muscles contracting beneath his fingertips.

Five agonising minutes later Niall’s finally finished, and when the two step out of the shower, they’re both amazingly exhausted.

Liam’s given the extra torment of being blessed with being able to dry Niall down with a towel himself as Niall holds onto his waist again. Then after that, also given the final curse of having to walk Niall down their hallway in a towel and into their room, into their closet, and to having to dress him as well. When Niall’s arm finally slips through that last hole and he looks up at Liam, Liam wants to cry, honestly.

Niall’s been bright red since he came back to his senses and now he’s in one of Liam’s shirts (so he won’t have to hold on to Liam too tight) and clutching Liam’s forearms and _fuck fucking fuck fuck fuck_ Liam’s tears are literally almost slipping out.

Liam’s half a second away from latching on to Niall and pulling him into the tightest embrace when Harry comes back.

Both Liam and Niall sigh in relief then glance at each other with wide eyes before both looking quickly away and turning scarlet.

 

All suffering aside, that night, Liam gets his reward for that earlier test.

At about ten thirty Niall’s walls finally completely collapse.

Liam isn’t sure if it’s because Niall’s still sick or finally starting to rely on him a bit, but it doesn’t matter. The two of them are cuddling on the couch when Niall sighs and nuzzles more into Liam’s shoulder. The two figured out that Niall’s arms get a lot less tired the closer they are together, so they’ve had their arms around each other for most of the evening already, but, this gesture is something different. And not just because it’s followed by a cute request. It’s just... gentler.

“Liam..? Let’s go to bed, yeah?” Niall murmurs. Liam tightens his arm around Niall’s waist and smiles down at the bloody angel half asleep in half his lap.

“Yeah, alright.” Liam breathes. Niall bites his lip and nuzzles in a bit closer.

“...’m kinda weak, would you mind carrying me?” Niall muffles. He clenches a fist around Liam’s shirt and Liam _swears_ he smiles into it and yeah, this is bliss. Here, alone on the couch in winter, in the dimly lit living room with nothing but the company of each other, is pure euphoria.

Because just now, for the first time ever, Niall’s asked Liam for a favour.

Liam runs his fingers through Niall’s hair and kisses it because he can’t help it. Niall’s heart skips a few beats.

“...yeah, let’s go.” Liam murmurs. “Grab on.”

Niall loops his arms around Liam’s shoulders and holds on as best he can. He’s tired and sleepy and more sore than he thought could ever be possible and suddenly he’s kind of grateful he’s never been awake for the bad sicknesses. He feels terrible.

Liam’s warmth seems to suck the pain right out of him.

Liam gets his arms under Niall’s legs and Niall feels the rush as Liam seems to stand up effortlessly with the weight of the two of them. Niall doesn’t feel the jolts as Liam walks and before he knows it, Liam’s laying him down in their bed just as effortlessly.

Liam slides in next to Niall and Niall slips straight back into Liam’s arms and wraps his own back around Liam’s shoulders. Liam smells like safety and warmth and protection and Niall’s hooked on it.

Liam pulls Niall’s waist in tight and runs his fingers through Niall’s hair again. When he kisses it once more Niall thinks he would’ve asked Liam for it if he hadn’t done it on his own. Niall buries his face into the crook of Liam’s neck and relaxes into him and can’t believe he’s completely fine with being so intimate. He’d been nothing but embarrassed the entire day but right now all he can think is that this never ending, might not be so bad.

“...night, Li.” Niall breathes. His accent’s gone thick and Liam tries not to shudder from it. He rubs a hand idly up and down the small of Niall’s back and Niall absolutely loves it. Liam somehow knows it as well.

“Night, Ni.” Liam whispers.


End file.
